Guessing Game
by Valiant-Poptart
Summary: If there was one thing you never questioned the almighty Kyoya Ootori, it was his sexuality.
1. Chapter 1

Is He Gay, Straight, or Taken?

If there was one thing you never question the almighty Kyoya Ootori about, it was his sexuality.

Haruhi Fujioka was a level headed girl. She was blunt, straight to the point, and could throw whatever you thought a girl was suppose to be out the window. Starting for one, if something bothered her, she would immediately tell you so. She wouldn't beat around the bush and consider your feelings.

So, even possessing the knowledge of all of this, what had came out of said girl's mouth still completely threw Kyoya Ootori off guard.

"Kyoya, are you gay?"

She looked so innocent, you would think she had asked something more appropriate such as, "Do you think it would rain today?" Ah, but alas, that was not what she had asked, much to Kyoya's chagrin.

He cleared his throat, closing the folder he had been looking at. "Pardon?" He asked coolly as if he didn't want to do something very ungentlemanly at that moment.

Nervously, she started fiddling with her thumbs, "Well, Kyoya, I was just wondering if you were...Gay." The look slowly darkening his face made Haruhi flinch. She sputtered, "I-I don't mean like what the Twins do, I just mean it doesn't look like you like girls in general. The most I've seen you do for your customers is flash a smile and offer merchandise."

This time, Kyoya did not grace her with a reply. He merely tucked the folder underneath his arm and crossed his arms. The atmosphere around them dropped a few degrees. Haruhi could practically feel the Shadow King emerging. Quickly, she grabbed her bag, hands up in front of her as if they would protect her from Kyoya's glare, "Ack! I'm sorry, forget I said anything! Oh look at the time, there's a sale at the market today, I best be going now, bye Kyoya!" She rushed for the door and got the hell out of there, not daring to look back. Not that she had to, she could feel the Shadow King's stare piercing her back as she fled.

Haruhi collapsed onto her futon later that day, trying to not replay that afternoon scene in her head. What the hell possessed her to ask Kyoya that? Kyoya, of all people! She groaned and buried her face into her pillow.

If she were to be honest with herself, she would accept that the question had been running through her mind for a long while. It was bothering her for some strange reason, if Kyoya wasn't interested in girls or not. From his reaction, he seemed offended (and pissed), but that's usually what people feel if you ask if they're gay, right...?

Frustrated, she hugged the pillow closer. If she weren't in denial she would also admit to noticing how he treated his customers. All smiles and compliments, but never showing genuine affection like how Tamaki woos his 'princesses' with his cheesy lines and touches. If you look enough, you would notice the artificial shine to Kyoya's smiles, quite different from the blond King of the Host Club. Kyoya, she noticed, did not put his heart into it.

You could defiantly tell, if you pay attention, that the way Kyoya entertains his customers seemed a little off from the rest of the club members, there was no sweet talk involved or any signs of affection. Which led her to thinking, was it because he just wasn't interested in girls..?

Haruhi frantically shook her head, now she was just being stupid. There must have been something in the tea Hikaru had given her after business hours, what else could explain her unusual behavior? Haruhi sat up, her hands balled up in fists. There was no time to mope around, anyways! There was homework to do, the laundry to bring in, and dinner to be started. Tomorrow she would just have to apologize formally to Kyoya and that would be that.

"Gay?" Kyoya scoffed, throwing his pillow against the headboard. He kicked off his indoor slippers and crawled onto his bed. "She thinks I'm gay?" He repeated as he transferred the laptop from the nightstand to his lap. There was still some work that had to be done, it being a Thursday and all.

As the machine powered on, he couldn't help but glare indignantly at the wall across from him. "How can she possibly think I'm gay? Did she already forget that incident at the summer house? I'm sure I've made my sexuality very clear." He _tsk'd_ and began pounding the keys, making a firm decision to think about the matter no more. It was stupid and childish and did not deserve his attention.

However, no more then three minutes passed before he felt the urge to chuck his laptop at the wall. He hissed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. Why was he getting so rilled up on this? Haruhi was one to make careless comments, for example that one remark about Hikaru being a tad meaner then Kaoru which started the whole 'fight' where neither talked to the other and caused a giant complication for the Host Club. Not to mention the many times she stepped on the land mine that was Tamaki's ego, but that was an all too easy feat. So why did this seem to piss him off so much? He should be able to just brush off such a comment.

He started jamming the buttons on his keyboard, hoping to get some sort of satisfaction from abusing the defenseless computer. All he got was an error message and a headache.

At last giving up on getting any work done, he placed the laptop safely back onto the nightstand and fell back against the headboard. He crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. A plan was already forming in his head.

The next day, Haruhi was running down the hallway, fifteen minutes late. Last night, it was impossible to get any sleep. Her mind had been filled with anxiety on what exactly the Shadow King had planned for her the following day. Knowing Kyoya, he wasn't going to leave such a stupid question alone. She had to lean on the wall for support at the thought of an even bigger debt then the one she already had.

If she ever found out what the Twins spiked her tea with, she swore to God she would murder them. Her plots for homicide, unfortunately, were soon interrupted by the last warning bell. She swore under her breath and ran the rest of the way to her classroom.

During break, Hikaru and Kaoru were hanging over Haruhi like usual. Today they wanted to show her this little robot action figure they ate twelve boxes of cereal for. "Isn't it cool, Haruhi? It shoots lasers, watch!" Hikaru said in awe, pressing the little button on the back of it so the plastic projectile would land on her desk. Kaoru laughed, removing the toy from his brother's grasp,"You should have seen Hikaru wolfing down the cereal for this thing! You'd have think he was Tamaki with commoner snacks!"

At the comparison, Hikaru pouted, a little red, "H-hey, don't be so mean Kaoru. I wanted the toy to play with you!" His brother smirked for a half second, knowing the real reason he wanted to change the subject in front of Haruhi, but he was still game in playing along.

Kaoru held his brother's face in his hands, a sorrowful smile replacing his smirk. "Oh I'm sorry Hikaru, I didn't mean it! I swear! You know you don't need a toy if you want to play with me..." He said softly, eliciting fan girlish screams from a nearby crowd of Host Club regulars.

Both Twins failed to notice that Haruhi was fast asleep during the whole act. It wasn't until they snapped out of it did Kaoru noticed that her head was slightly slumped forward. Worried, he gently shook her shoulder, "Haruhi? Are you okay? When did you go to bed last night?"

Hikaru was on her other side, not daring to touch her, but still equally concerned. "Really! It's not like our Haru-chan to fall asleep in class,"

Slowly, Haruhi came to, her eyes fluttering a little open. "It's both your faults..." She mumbled. The two brothers exchanged looks of confusion, but let her continue, "Putting something..Funny in my tea...I wouldn't have asked..."

"Asked what?" They asked in unison, their interests perked.

To their disappointment, she slumped forward again. Her eyes were closed again though, when she finally answered them. "...Asked if Kyoya was gay..." She muttered distantly before a soft snore could be heard. A few moments passed before the Twins had to walk away back to their desks before they woke up poor Haruhi again.

Once they thought they were a safe distance away, they broke out into snickers.

"Kyoya?" They laughed, "Gay?" It was hard to keep their voices down because they knew if something like that was heard, people would get ideas and then there would be consequences (even the Twins knew when to fear the Shadow King).

In between breaths Kaoru huffed, "Well, of course he's gay,"

"He's the _mother_ of the family!" Hikaru finished, causing them both to break out in hoots of laughter. Oh, if Kyoya knew they were talking about him like this, he would absolutely kill them.

In another building far from the Twins, Kyoya suddenly sneezed. He sniffed, it must be nearing allergy season.

By the time after school came around, Haruhi already felt pushed to her limit. Through all her classes, she had desperately tried staying awake. The downfall however, was that she was so worked up on remaining conscious that she completely missed whatever the teacher was saying. So as she sat there, entertaining customers, she was actually fretting in the inside.

What was she to study tonight? Did she miss anything important? Test dates? Oh Dear Mother in Heaven, the mess she had gotten herself into! She might end up getting kicked out of Ouran if her grades started slipping...

"Haruhi?" The girl in front of her asked, having noticed she had been ignored.

Snapping back into reality, Haruhi perked up, "Oh, I'm really sorry. Last night I had stayed up a little too late." Well, more like haven't gone to bed at all, but she didn't need to know that.

The girl shook her head, sipping at her tea, "That's no good Haruhi! You need to catch up on your sleep. It's no fun if you're falling asleep on me," She giggled into her hand, "But you looked so cute, so I don't mind!"

Haruhi laughed as well, smiling as she thanked her for her kindness. That's right. Now was not the time to drift off. Her debt would increase even more if she was caught slacking off. She mentally cringed at that. At the mention of debt, her thoughts returned to Kyoya.

It took all of her will power not to look at him and instead, concentrate on getting through her queue of customers.

Finally, when the day was done, the other Host Club members were leaning over the sleeping figure of Haruhi. All except for Kyoya who was sitting at a table across the room, calculating the Club's profit for the day.

"Haru-chan is sleepy today! Is there a test she's studying for?" Hunny asked with bright childish cuteness.

Kaoru shook his head and shrugged, "Not until next week and it's on stuff we already know. She's been half asleep through all her classes today..." His voice dwindled, a thought occurring to him.

"What? My daughter hasn't been getting enough sleep? Preposterous! Unacceptable!" Tamaki sputtered out, making a big fuss, "Then that must mean she misses daddy! Yes, she must need daddy close to sleep at night. Tonight I will come home with here!" He snapped his fingers, making it definite.

However, Hikaru had something to say about that, he grabbed Tamaki by the shoulder before he lunged at the helpless girl, "No, my lord! You stay away from Haruhi. If you were in her bed, she wouldn't sleep at all! Kaoru, help me escort the foolish lord home." With that, his brother and himself stomped out of the club room, dragging an objecting Tamaki in tow.

After the Twins and their King had left, Hunny turned to Mori. "Hikaru is still jealous of Tama-chan, isn't he?" He asked, playing with the ear of his bun-bun. The other man only grunted in response, glancing vaguely at Kyoya. It was more then enough of an answer for Hunny.

Grabbing Mori by the hand, the little blond started for the exit. He bid farewell to Kyoya before the two of them disappeared behind the doorway.

As soon as the door closed, Haruhi blinked. She yawned, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. Huh, that's funny. She thought when she noticed that she was still at school, I distinctly remember going home.

Stretching, she looked around. "Where is everyone?" The words were out of her mouth before she realized how silly it was to ask such a question aloud when there was clearly no one around.

"They all went home." A familiar voice said from behind, too close for her comfort.

Her head whipped around, looking like a deer caught in headlights, "K-Kyoya!"

He chuckled dryly at her reaction, "Good morning, _Sleeping Beauty_." Surprisingly, Haruhi turned a light shade of pink.

"A-about y-yesterday, I'm sorry...I-I didn't mean...The Twins...T-The tea.." Haruhi stuttered, trying to get straight to the point. In the back of her mind she vaguely noted how close his face was and how much warmer it was getting. Oh, what was happening to her?

Before she could continue trying to form a decent sentence (which was failing utterly miserably if she should say so herself), Kyoya placed a single finger on her lips, effectively silencing her. "Haruhi," He started, "I propose a dinner for just the two of us this weekend. What do you say?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Haruhi, I propose a dinner for just the two of us this weekend. What do you say?" Kyoya had said those words so calmly, it was almost like he believed what he was saying was actually _sane_.

Her first reaction was wide eye disbelief. He couldn't be...Asking her out, was he? No, that's completely and utterly impossible. The great Kyoya Ootori had nothing to gain from going out with a commoner like herself. There must be an evil plot behind this...Her thoughts were starting to spin out of control and she had to mentally kick start her brain again.

"_What?_" She blurted out before she could think better of it. So much for her brain functionally properly.

Kyoya cleared his throat, a smile on his face, "Yes, I'm inviting you for dinner tomorrow night. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me?" Haruhi, for a moment, could just gape at Kyoya. The man was completely calm, giving her that customer smile of his.

Abruptly, she stood up, forcing Kyoya to take a few steps back. Her embarrassment gave way to irritation as she stomped her way to the desk where Kyoya had left all the club's papers. Carefully as to not mess up the piles, she excavated Kyoya's tea cup and gave it one good sniff.

He had watched all of this with a mixture of pure befuddlement and impatience, not understanding why she seemed obsessed with tea, having drank none herself that whole afternoon. An eyebrow rose, "Haruhi, what exactly are you doing? Was today's tea not to your liking?"

The tea had passed the sniff test, much to Haruhi's displeasure as she placed the tea cup down. It was Jasmine and smelled only of flowers. "I thought the Twin's drugged the tea," She stated and in a smaller voice mumbled, "Must be a scentless one."

"Drugged the tea...? Are you saying I wouldn't ask a girl out unless under the influence of some sort of drug?" He scoffed, "I am not gay, please understand that Haruhi."

She turned around, her mouth set in a thin line, "About that...I was wrong and I'm sorry." She forced herself to look at Kyoya, "There's no need to prove it nor any need to lower yourself to ask me out for dinner." That smile told her everything, he was forcing himself to do this.

...Not that she was disappointed or anything. "I'll see you Monday. Bye Kyoya." She started for the door.

However, before she could even take a step, Kyoya was in front of her again, his smile gone, "I didn't say anything about leaving or at least, not until you answer my question."

It was a sad thing that she could not shoot lasers out of her eyes to scare Kyoya off. She sighed, "I thought I did. Really, Kyoya, there's no need to pretend you want to go out with me."

Kyoya had to wait a moment as to not do anything he'd later regret. It would ruin his plans if he did anything stupid, but, jeez, this girl! "It is not as if I wanted a date with you like the Twins," He started, trying to gauge her reaction, "Just as friends. There's no harm in it."

Her answer was instant, she crossed her arms in a giant 'X' and said, "No thanks." She didn't look convinced that he didn't have an alternative motive. He sighed, he was going to have to do _that_. He had promised himself he wasn't going to do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Haruhi was trying to squeeze herself between Kyoya and the door, she just wanted to get home at this point. However, Kyoya had other thoughts. He grabbed her by the shoulder and gently pushed her away from the door. It was almost amusing how easily he had done it.

"Haruhi, if you accompany me tomorrow night, I will cut your debt by a fourth." There, he said it. Tonight he was going to scrub his mouth with soap. Losing _money_ was something he did not take lightly. Oh, the things he'll do...

She froze. One of her eyebrows were raised in suspicion. "I'm not going to cheat you, Haruhi. What do you take me for? Wait, no, on second thought, don't answer that," His hands were still on her shoulders as he sighed again, "Look, you could just walk away and decline my offer, but do you really think that would be wise, Haruhi? After all, where's the harm in dinner among two friends?" This was starting to tax him, only the thought of success was pushing him to continue.

For a few moments, she said nothing. Haruhi was thinking, it was obvious by the serious expression on her face as she held her chin with a hand. She was trying to search for any loopholes he might make, she was smart enough to actually think it over. However, he still had the upper hand.

Then finally, she sighed, "Fine. I accept." Kyoya hadn't even notice he had been holding his breath the whole time.

"So, tell me again why I'm being driven home via limo?" Haruhi asked. Her arms were folded against her chest and she was apparently sulking.

Softly, Kyoya chuckled, "I'm not going to let my _friend_ walk home. Besides, it looks like it's going to rain." He added the last part off handedly as he glanced out the car window. Haruhi looked up, still sulking. He made such an innocent word sound so...So..._Poisonous_. Why did it seem she was going to regret such a deal?

She scoffed. "Up to here is fine. It's only a block away from the apartments," Haruhi said, starting to fidget in her seat.

Kyoya glanced at her, "It's not too much trouble for me to drop you off in front of the apartments, you know." Haruhi shook her head.

"It will cause trouble. Trouble for me, at least. Don't you remember the last time an expensive limo pulled up to the apartments? That was all everyone talked about for weeks! Please, spare me the pain from having such unnecessary attention," She exclaimed, looking desperate enough to just jump out of the car while it was still moving.

Well, it wasn't like he could say no to such a pleading expression.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, he sighed and asked the driver to pull over. Before she closed the door, she hesitated, "Thanks Kyoya."

His face was half shadowed by the darkness of the car, making it impossible to read his expression as he curtly replied, "Tomorrow I will pick you up around seven. Make sure you wear something suitable."

With that, she shut the door and watched the prestigious black limo drive off.

Kyoya could no longer contain the grin he was holding in. As soon as she closed the door, he suddenly burst into full out laughter.

Oh, he could not wait for tomorrow.

Later that night, Haruhi was still contemplating the decision in her head. She stood over a pan of stir fry, mindlessly pushing the vegetables around. What exactly did Kyoya have hidden beneath his sleeve? He obviously was planning something, that would explain the sudden invitation to dinner. Either that or the Twins really had developed a tasteless drug that screwed up people's minds.

But, what if...What if he didn't have an alternative motive? What if this was really just a friendly dinner between friends to prove that he was capable of dating girls? He did after all, seem to stress how '_innocent_' and that it was only to be as '_friends_'.

Maybe he was really covering up the fact her had a girlfriend...!

Haruhi hissed in frustration, the smell of burnt meat filling her nose. "Crap! It's burning!" Having been lost in her thoughts, she had successfully allowed her stir fry to burn. She yanked the pan off the burner and under rushing water.

Turning off the stove, she dumped the remains of what could hardly be called stir fry into the sink and leaned over the counter. "Stupid, stupid! Never get distracted while your cooking! Trying to burn the whole house down..." She grumbled underneath her breath. She just wasted perfectly good meat and vegetables! It seems tonight she was going to have to order take out if she wanted to finished dinner on time. Good thing her father was to be working la-...

"_Haruhi! I've just heard the most wonderful news~_" An all too familiar voice called out shortly before the front door slammed open, revealing a feminine red headed man.

Ah, well, it seems take out will be a little more expensive. "Welcome home, dad," Haruhi said monotonously without looking up, "You're home earlier then expected."

Hurt, Ranka gripped at his chest, practically kneeling over, "What's with such a cold welcoming, Haruhi? You make Papa feel so unloved!" The man really did look like he was on the verge of tears.

Haruhi sighed, finally looking at her father, "Sorry, dad, I'm just a little stressed. I accidentally burnt dinner and now I have to get some take out." She shrugged, shaking her head, "Um, you said you had some wonderful news...?" _I sure need some_. She added mentally.

Ranka snapped out of his previous despair. "Right! The wonderful news!" He exclaimed, suddenly squeezing the life out of Haruhi, "I'm so, so, so, so, _so_ happy~ My beautiful, beautiful daughter is finally interested in _boys_!" If it were even possible, it felt like he had tighten his embrace.

For a moment, Haruhi couldn't breathe (literally). What could her father be talking about? He couldn't have heard about this afternoon so soon, could he?

As Haruhi slowly turned purple, Ranka continued to gush. He just couldn't believe it~ "Why didn't you ever tell papa you were in a relationship? I would have supported you, no matter who it was (except for that Tamaki, he's too much of an idiot for my darling Haruhi)! You would never believe how surprised I was when I received a call from Kyoya, _the_ Kyoya from work this afternoon, saying you were to accompany him tomorrow for dinner! Oh, isn't this wonder? My daughter is finally dating! Ah, Haruhi, why aren't you happy...? ...Why are you purple...?"

Then Ranka realized that no matter how much you love your daughter, hugging her to literal death is still possible. Letting go, he started frantically apologizing. Haruhi could only deal with trying to breathe first, however, and let him cry at her feet for a few seconds. "I'm so sorry Haruhi! I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry! My baby is okay, right?"

"D-dad," She said unsteadily when she could finally breathe normally, "S-stop. Come on, please get up. I'm fine, yes _I'm fine_." But the next time she talked to Kyoya, she was going to give him a piece of her mind! She would bet 600 yen that he did this just to torment her.

The next few minutes continued with Ranka on his knees while Haruhi tried to pull him off the floor until Ranka was convinced he hadn't damaged his little Haruhi, but he still pouted a little, "I was really happy for you! I knew you'd be smart and choose the most beautiful man out there!" He gripped his fist in happiness, "Oooh~ To be inlaws with such a hottie~"

Before her dad could get any more lost in daydreams, Haruhi gently shook her father by the shoulders, "Earth to dad, hello, this is Earth calling! I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but we're just going as _friends_. This is not a date, we are not in a relationship, and we are definitely not getting married!" She almost choked on the last word. It was just...Just so _wrong_. Whoever would marry Kyoya, Haruhi had pity on them.

All Ranka did was smile a Cheshire smile. _Does Haruhi not realize..._? "Sure, my darling, sure!" He couldn't help the small giggle that escaped him.

Haruhi rolled her eyes. She did not like where he was heading with this. Shaking her head, she walked into the main room shortly reappearing with coat in hand. "Whatever, dad. Just keep your dirty thoughts to yourself. Anything you want from Fuji's?"

Her father was taking off his shoes and his own coat as Haruhi started shrugging into hers, "I'll take that delicious curry they have!" Haruhi only grunted in response before she left out the front door.

Ranka was still smiling behind her. His little baby might be a genius, but it seems that even the smartest people have their flaws!

A/N: Ahahahaha, so this completely turned out longer then I thought. Instead of three chapters I had originally planned, I'm sure it'll turn out more like...Six.

Well, I hope it'll still be enjoyable to read~ Thank you all for the kind reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

Haruhi rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up. "Morning, mother," she yawned, greeting the shrine next to the futon. For a moment she sat there, taking in the usual sights. The morning light flitted in through the shutters, giving the room a warm fuzzy glow. Outside, Haruhi could hear the birds chirping happily away, '_It's Saturday_! _It's Saturday_!' Like a lazy cat, Haruhi stretched, enjoying the peaceful morning. No school, no club, and absolutely n-

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH_!"

As if she had been stung by a bee, Haruhi suddenly jumped to her feet. That's right! She actually had a date today! With...With..._Kyoya_! Her face twisted into a look of pure horror as she recalled how she was talked into having dinner with the Shadow Lord tonight. . .

Then she collapsed back into bed. "Eh...I have until seven..." She mumbled into her pillow, the initial shock already passed. Seven o'clock was _hours_ away, she had loads of time to get ready. There wouldn't be any harm in sleeping in for a few more minutes.

However, unfortunately for Haruhi, the door to the bathroom suddenly crashed open, a half shaved Ranka lashing out blindly with a golf club, his shaving creme going everywhere. "_Hiiiyaaa_! Haruhi are you alright? Where are they? If the burglar had even laid one finger on you, I will castrate the bastard!" He continued swinging the metal club wildly.

In fear for being stepped on (and hit), Haruhi started rolling away from her father. "Dad! Dad! Stop! You might kill someone with that!" She exclaimed, almost getting her face whacked off with the golf club.

"That's the point, baby. So! Where are those bastards?" He shouted, still wielding the dangerous weapon. By this point, Haruhi was pushed against the wall, her arms over her head for protection.

"B-but dad! There's no one here but me!" Her words cutting through Ranka's homicidal thoughts. The golf club was inches away from Haruhi's head where it came to a freezing halt.

He blinked, "Eh? No one? But papa heard you scream!" Haruhi sighed in relief as the club was lowered to Ranka's side.

Getting to her feet, Haruhi tried explaining. "Well, remembering that I have to eat dinner with Kyoya tonight was not the most pleasant thought to wake up to," She put bluntly, sighing again, "Sorry for causing such a commotion, dad. But, uh, where exactly did you get that thing?" The last time she checked, her bathroom did not come equipped with a golf club.

Ranka lifted up the golf club again, causing Haruhi to jump backwards in fright (though all she did was hit the wall). "Oh, this?" He said, gesturing to the seemingly harmless metal death stick, "I keep it in the top cabinet over the sink with my razor! I have a weapon in each room, just for your protection, Haruhi~" He spoke off handedly, "I have a katana underneath these very floorboards too! So if there is ever a burglar, you have nothing to fear~"

Haruhi felt her eye twitch, "R-really...?" It felt stupid to ask, but she really couldn't believe she has been sleeping over a sword for the past fourteen years.

Much to Haruhi's relief (or not so much), Ranka burst out laughing, "Ha! You should have seen your face, my darling Haruhi! No, no, there's no sword, we can't afford one~ Ah, but there _is_ a metal bat..."

Covering her face with a hand, Haruhi shook her head. God, it was too early in the morning for this. "Ah. O-okay then... I'm just going to go back to bed then..." She started for her crumpled futon, planning on remaking it. Her father, however, had different ideas. Before Haruhi could reach her futon, Ranka stepped into her way.

His eyes were narrowed as he stared fiercely at his daughter, "What do you think you're doing...?"

"Um...Going back to sleep...?"

Gesturing with the golf club, Ranka stepped closer to Haruhi, forcing her to take a step backwards, "You have a date to get ready for! There's no time to waste _sleeping_!"

She eyed the golf club nervously,"But I have until six! At least!" The shaving cream all over Ranka's face did not help his mental image either.

"_Six_? That's so little time! Come on Haruhi, let papa help you pick out your clothes~" He started for her, dropping the club to the ground as he spread his arms out for an embrace. By reflex more then anything, Haruhi side stepped, keeping a hand between her and her dad. For a moment, it reminded her of Tamaki...

She shook her head vehemently, "Dad! Wait, wait. I can do this myself! Besides, don't you have work soon?"

At this Ranka spun around, hands at his face not unlike the 'Scream' painting. "Ack! I'm not even done with shaving!" He dashed back into the bathroom, wailing about how much of a mess he was and how little time he had. "I'm sorry Haruhi, baby, I can't help you today! But, next time, for sure, I want to help you dress up~ Oh, wouldn't that be fun~?" Her father called out from the bathroom, Haruhi only shivered. Somehow, a picture of Tamaki popped into her mind.

"Right, sure dad." She said monotonously, picking up her futon and folding it up. She was already up, thanks to her dad's antics. From the bathroom, she heard her dad singing a tad off tune as he finished shaving and started applying make up. As her dad occupied the bathroom, Haruhi opened the closet, casually browsing through the girlish clothes Ranka had bought her. It was a safe to assume that wherever this 'dinner' was going to be, dressing up boyishly or like a bum would probably piss off Kyoya.

Haruhi started humming in time with her father's singing. Not that it wasn't a bad idea to get that jerk mad. Though, most likely, she'd pay for it in the end.

Hardly four minutes later, Ranka emerged from the bathroom, cleanly shaved and feminine. Haruhi glanced at her father. How that man made make up look so easy, Haruhi had no clue. "I'll be going now, Haruhi~ You sure you don't want me to help you with at least your wardrobe? I know you're fashion decisions are a little rough..." His voice trailed off, though it was clear he was referring to that sweater/glasses combo she had worn on the first day of school.

Shaking her head, Haruhi held her hands up in front of her, "No, I'm fine dad. You know, I'm not going to wear something completely unsuitable to this. I have this feeling that he'd eat _me_, if I don't dress properly." She sighed, hopefully she'd find something that'd be dubbed acceptable in Kyoya's tastes. Whatever Kyoya's tastes were.

Ranka pouted, already half way through the door. "I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to see how beautiful my daughter will look. Ah~ I'll just ask Kyoya to send me some pictures later~" He giggled at the last part, dodging the poorly aimed shoe as he ran out the door.

"Idiot." Haruhi muttered, though she couldn't help but smile as well. Oh well, at least now, there was no one to bug her. She returned her attention to the closet in front of her, her lips thinned into a line as she stared at the clothes.

Sometimes, she wished she was a little more feminine for things like this.

What seemed like eons later, Haruhi had limited her options to the dress she had borrowed during the school's festival and a tasteful long skirt with a modest tank top and long vest.

Said clothes had been unceremoniously thrown onto the ground, arranged so Haruhi could almost picture what they would look like if she were in them. After staring at the two outfits for a good long while, she threw her hands up in exasperation. She had no idea which to choose! Maybe she could call Kaoru, he'd understand the situation more then Hikaru...

No! Kaoru would probably spill the beans to Hikaru anyways. There was no one she could trust with this, she frowned. Instead, she collapsed onto the floor. She still had to think this over.

What had she been thinking last night? Something along the lines of Kyoya using this 'date' as a cover-up or to prove that he wasn't gay and..._Er..._She smacked her head against the floor. It was still embarrassing to remember asking Kyoya if he was interested in guys.

Because obviously, if he was, he would have already made off/out with Tamaki and...

Oh God, she was not picturing that. The very thought of Tamaki and Kyoya acting like Hikaru and Kaoru was just...Just, _no_. But, most likely, it would raise the club's profits by roughly more then 55%. Why did it seem that a bunch of customers were into that gay stuff? Haruhi mentally rolled her eyes, girls will be girls.

Picking herself off the floor, she stared at the outfits again, hoping that if she glared enough mental holes into them, one would scamper off in fear and she'd be left with one option. However, physics defied her wishes, _again_, and she merely stood there staring.

A cover-up...Kyoya stressed how 'friendly' this dinner was. Maybe he's proving that he isn't gay, just not interested in dating (especially a commoner like herself). _But why wouldn't he?_ Haruhi pondered, the clothes forgotten for a moment. He's intelligent (to the point of scheming), a great conversationalist (if he's interested enough), and handsome (more like scarily cool, but good looking nonetheless). There were plenty of girls that would be able to meet up to his standards. For example, Miss Ayame seemed like she had the potential to stand up to Kyoya. Though, then again, she did fall for Tamaki in the end...

Or...Or, maybe he _is_ dating! If light bulbs could float in mid-air and were powered by epiphanies, a light bulb just turned on over Haruhi's head. That would completely explain why he wanted to go only as friends. He wanted to prove he wasn't gay, but at the same time he was trying to stay loyal to his secret girlfriend.

Besides the point Haruhi was ignoring another explanation or the fact that the realization Kyoya has a girlfriend kind of irked her, she felt relieved that she had finally figured it out. Not to mention, she had figured out which outfit she was going to wear. She picked up both the dress and the skirt/vest combo and walking back to the closet, placed the dress back into place. In her opinion, the dress seemed a little too showy.

By now, it was almost nine. She still had plenty of time to finish up this weekend's chores before she'd get ready. As she headed for the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Thinking it was her father, having forgotten something, she opened the door without really thinking, "What'd you forget this time?"

"Excuse me, Miss Fujioka?" An unfamiliar voice asked meekly. Haruhi blinked.

"Who are you?" Haruhi asked bluntly at the small girl in front of her, whom was wearing a maid uniform. At her question, the little maid bowed, nervously.

"Ah, um, at the request of master Ootori, I am to offer my services along with..A few others, in preparation to tonight's event. Oh and please call me Yuki," The maid's words were spoken so quickly Haruhi could only stare at the girl in incomprehension.

Kyoya sat at a desk in a study at his home, taping the keys of his laptop with such haste, it could hardly be called 'taping'. To be honest, it was more like smashing. An uncomfortable twitch of his lips was the only true sign of his discomfort.

Haruhi would most likely kill him when he would see her later that day (_If_ he would see her that is. With that girl you can't really tell). Though telling Ranka of their arrangement could be seen as responsible sending Yuki might have been going a little over the edge. He could practically picture her going off about how embarrassing the whole ordeal was. The little mental image made the twitch of his lips into a slight smile.

So far the plan was turning out fine, however it was too early to gauge the potential success of it. This particular plan would have to short and straight forward. Haruhi, no matter how smart that girl was, was still undeniably dense. If he wanted the plan to work, he was going need to make his feelings so blunt, it would envy even Haruhi's point-blank remarks.

For a moment his hands stopped typing and were left hesitantly hovering over the keys. His eyes narrowed. The plan seemed simple enough, but for once in Kyoya's life, he was unsure if he could pull it off.

Haruhi, after all, still had an attachment to that idiot Tamaki.

A/N: Sorry this is kind of took me forever :\

But I'm thankful for all the favorites/reviews~ Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Kyoya Ootori was a jerk. An imbecile, a menace, a demon! Damn rich bastard!

Haruhi fumed with her arms crossed as servants pulled and teased at her hair. It had been at least two hours since Yuki had appeared on her door step. Two whole freaking hours in which Haruhi had to sit in a top-class salon and endure an at least a thousand dollar spa treatment.

The salon itself wasn't bad. It was tasteful and not overly decorated with engraved ceilings and scarily white floor tiles. The service there was amazing as well, everyone was nice and Haruhi couldn't deny how relaxing it was. But..!

What gives Kyoya the idea that Haruhi needed something so unnecessary and expensive? She wasn't needy! If he had money to spend, he should spend it on his secret girlfriend, not a commoner friend.

Haruhi resisted the urge to groan. Thinking it over, he probably did this to increase her debt. It wasn't as if she wanted to end up in a spa when she accepted Yuki's offer. All of it seemed like a trick...

"Ah, um, at the request of master Ootori, I am to offer my services along with..A few others, in preparation to tonight's event. Oh and please call me Yuki," The little maid had said in coherent Japanese (or English, for the sake of the fanfic). Yet, the words still took a moment for Haruhi to fully process.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'a few others'?" Haruhi asked when the words finally sunk in, an eyebrow raised curiously. From previous experiences 'a few' in Kyoya's perspective was more like 'a lot'.

Yuki smiled sweetly, "Master Kyoya also wanted me to inform you the dinner would be held at the Grand Tokyo A Hotel. If you would accept our assistance, I will explain everything to you as well." Instinctively Haruhi took a step backwards, eying the seemingly innocent maid wearily. The whole situation was a little suspicious, but Haruhi was having a few doubts about how well her experiences alone would hold up in dressing up for _the_ Grand Tokyo A Hotel. Hell, she didn't even have a decent dress...

Really, she was only agreeing to this to avoid embarrassing herself. It had nothing to do with wanting Kyoya's approval. Nope, not at all.

With hesitant side glances to the neighbors, she sighed. "Okay, yes, I accept your help."

Almost instantly, Haruhi regretted those six words.

The change was instant. From an innocent, sweet maid, Yuki suddenly turned menacing and evil, snapping her fingers with a cold smile that could rival even the true Demon Lord's. Two other girls in similar attire as Yuki's popped out of nowhere. They hooked their arms around Haruhi's and begun dragging her down the stairs, despite Haruhi's struggles.

"Hey, wait! Stop! Where are we going?" She shouted at Yuki who closed the door before shortly following them down the stairs.

The chilling smile was still on her face as she watched Haruhi be escorted into the sleek black limo waiting on the street. "Our destination is the Ootori's personal beauty salon only three blocks away from the hotel. Please do not worry, Miss Fujioka. We will take good care of you~" She chirped, the sweet tone so unlike her smile. All Haruhi could do as she was (gently) forced into the backseat was gape at the tiny maid who followed her after.

The other two maids seemed to have disappeared when the doors closed and the locks clicked. As it seems that words were failing Haruhi, Yuki only tilted her head in a childlike manner and merely said, "Master Kyoya will not be able to recognize you after we're done with you." With that, the soft purr of the engine could be heard and then they were moving.

What followed after wards was a flurry of heavenly smelling soap, unbelievably soft towels, and an entire mob of professional stylists all which cared for every need of Haruhi's for a good two hours. Unfortunately, Haruhi's head was spinning way too much for her to enjoy much of it...

Back to the present, Haruhi was now sitting at a regal vanity in a room safely hidden away from the public side of the salon. She thought it safe to assume that this was a rest area of sorts by the amount of cushioned chairs there were. By now, Haruhi was completely done with her (hell of a) spa treatment and was now drying her newly added hair extensions. What remained however, was the actual dressing-up part.

Haruhi eyed herself incredulously in the mirror, before slumping forward and holding her head in her hands. Though she was still a tad annoyed, most of her anger had already drained out of her. That was probably the purpose of her being placed in the room she was currently in. Her foul mood must have chased them away.

With that last thought, the door to the practically empty rest room opened, revealing the petite form of Yuki. Behind her, a clothesline filled with designer outfits and every dress imaginable was rolled in by another maid. At the sight of the clothes, Haruhi inwardly cringed.

"Miss Fujioka," Yuki bowed deeply, "Kindly choose an outfit," The young maid swept a hand towards the row of clothes, her former sweet appearance back. Haruhi sighed and got up from the vanity muttering something along the lines of probably sinking in more debt then she had started with.

After a few quarrels and advice from Yuki, an outfit was finally chosen and then all that was left to be done was Haruhi's hair and make up. Which, much to Haruhi's amusement and irritation, revealed just how fiery (Read as: bi-polar) the little maid really was.

Kyoya was anxious, though he wouldn't admit it out loud. He would never admit how difficult it was for him to stay still as the limo arrived in front of the salon Haruhi was currently being held (hostage). Nor would he ever admit that his hand trembled a little as he got out of the car to present himself to Haruhi.

However, out of all the things he would not admit, the one thing he would rather _die_ before even _mentioning_ was the way his heart seemed to stop beating for a few seconds when Haruhi walked out of those double glass doors.

Not even Tamaki was going to get that out of him.

How could he put it...? It was quite different then those few times he had ever seen Haruhi in a dress. This one was a relatively modest look, covering any cleavage cleverly with frills and gracefully dropped to her knees. Her usual short brown hair now fell in lovely curls, framing her round face in an adorable way and though she wore virtually no make up, she still managed to have a soft glow about her. All these changes were subtle to a stranger's eye, yet to Kyoya they made her look...Well, this is where words failed him.

To sum it up in a simple sentence, he thought she looked rather cute tonight.

Somehow, through his inner turmoil, Haruhi had managed to shorten the distance between them in a blink of an eye. He had to stop himself from grabbing her and embracing her on the spot. "Good evening, Haruhi," He instead said in a distant polite tone as he opened the car door for her.

"Kyoya," She answered with a curt nod, obviously still brooding over the fact he forced her into a thousand dollar spa. Kyoya couldn't help the smile that broke his remote facade. Her sulking made her all the more cuter, did she know that? He thought about it, but ended up shaking his head as he made a round about the car to his side. Haruhi was much too dense for that.

When they were both settled into the limo, Kyoya turned to Haruhi, who was staring out the window (and avoiding any contact with the man next to her). Now was a good time to initiate the plan to make his feelings obvious to Haruhi!

He cleared his throat, successfully attracting her attention, "You look stunning tonight." Step one, compliment her looks.

Haruhi's head shot up so quickly, he almost panicked that her neck would snap. For a moment, she only stared at him with a bewildered expression which slowly turned into suspicion. "Thank you for such a lovely compliment, but I think all the gratitude belongs to the man who made sure I looked presentable tonight," As per usual Haruhi, she spoke with little malice.

Step one was a failure, retreat anyone? No, of course not, Kyoya Ootori was not a man to back down when challenged.

He stifled the ungentlemanly snort that threatened to come out, putting together his crumpling composure. "I assure you, the man in question does not do this for just anyone. Only for the ones he thinks are worth the effort," Kyoya said, hoping his message was clear enough.

"Worth the effort you say?" Haruhi echoed, "I'm sure spending money on others was hardly any work at all. Especially when he could so easily increase my debt to pay him back." She sniffed, returning her gaze out the window.

Despite having his ego smacked around, Kyoya still managed a soft chuckle. _She knows me too well_, he thought amusingly. The rest of the relatively short ride was spent in silence. For now, he would let her think she's won.

Their little (lover's) quarrel did not keep Haruhi abated for long. The wall of silence that had seemed to settle between them shattered instantly once the limo pulled up to the lobby of the Grand Tokyo A Hotel, the paparazzi mobbing the entrance.

"...W-we have to go through _that_?" Haruhi gaped in disbelief as cameras, shouts, and microphones were practically thrown in the direction of the limo. (Thank God for tinted windows, or else she would have been blind from flashes within a few seconds of arriving).

Kyoya lightly patted her shoulder in a comforting way, "Don't worry too much, Haruhi. As long as I'm here, they won't lay a finger on you. I will make sure of it," He said the last part with such resolution, Haruhi couldn't doubt him for a second.

She turned away again, but this time not out of indignation. "They're worse than rabid customers," She muttered, hoping he wouldn't see the light color she could feel rising in her cheeks. To her surprise, there was no witty remark, only the faint sound of his laughter, drowned out by the noise of the paparazzi as he stepped out of the car.

Kyoya made his way to open the door for her, offering his hand with a slight smile. Both would later deny the way their heartbeat turned erratic at the touch of her hand in his.

True to his word, Kyoya made sure no one touched her as they made their way from the limo to the lobby. When one photographer slipped under security and got close enough to touch Haruhi, Kyoya broke the camera's lens as well as the camera man's nose in a single punch.

Fortunately, the rest of the evening would be paparazzi free. Though Kyoya would later pay for the camera and the man's medical bills, but it was all worth it, he assured the man later on, in exchange for the picture he had taken of Haruhi shortly before Kyoya punched him.

By the time the couple made their way to the ballroom neither of them had the chance of private conversation. To Haruhi, it seemed that every three steps they were stalked by some rich _monsieur_ or another _mademoiselle_, squawking like birds when they talked. It was even worse when they started addressing Haruhi, like she were some sort of cute little kitten or doll that Kyoya had dressed up and didn't talk. She would smile and nod in response, only answering politely when talked to as was expected from her because some of those faces she recognized as CEOs of companies one could read about in the paper. Though she may not enjoy this sort of treatment, she didn't want to cause a scene that embarrassed them both. It was really more for his sake than hers. After all, he had a reputation to protect, not her.

Oh, she did not forget this for a moment.

What would they say if they found out she was just a commoner? The rumors that would spring to life...

It was just another reason why it was a good thing they were just friends and that Kyoya already had a girlfriend, probably one of higher birth who was already use to these kinds of things.

When dinner time came around and the two finally got to their reserved table, Kyoya was already at his limit. He had noticed the restrained tone behind the distant polite face Haruhi wore as they were greeted by other wealthy well-known couples. He had wanted to do no more than grab her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. Mentally, he berated himself for forgetting just how popular these parties usually were. He hadn't expected so many high up people to show where he couldn't merely walk away from them without much of an offense. Pulling out Haruhi's chair for her, Kyoya could tell she was as weary as he was.

Well, at least the worst of it was over. The other families knew better than to disturb an Ootori while he's eating.

"You handled that quite well, Haruhi. I'm impressed," Back to step one, but this time Kyoya was confident.

She graced him with a soft laugh, "Why thank you, Kyoya. You know, they aren't that much different from customers. They both talk about business and fawn over your looks..." She sighed, taking the velvet covered menu into her hands, "I don't know how you can live like this."

"You forget, this was how I was raised. Since I was a little kid, I was taught how to deal with people, potential business partners," He said offhandedly, wanting to change the subject, "See anything you like?"

Haruhi was squinting at the small print in front of her, frowning a little, "I can't even pronounce half of these things. Is this even Japanese (English)?" She looked up at Kyoya who hadn't even bothered in picking up his own menu.

Before he could respond, a waiter suddenly appeared from nowhere, smiling, "Welcome back to the Grand Tokyo A Hotel, Mister Ootori. You have already ordered, I assume?" With a curt nod from Kyoya, the waiter then turned to Haruhi, "And you must be Miss Fujioka, this is your first time here, correct?" Meekly, Haruhi nodded, "Have you made a decision on your order?"

"Well...I-I...No..." She stuttered, ungracefully. The waiter was talking much too fast for her, he left no room for her to speak at all.

"That's fine, Mister Ootori had foreseen this and had already prepared a meal for you," He interjected, taking a step back and bowing, "Please be patient, your food shall be here soon." And with that, the waiter disappeared as fast as he had came.

Watching the back of the waiter's head, Haruhi raised an eyebrow, "What was that all about...?" She looked at Kyoya suspiciously, "Did you really plan that I wouldn't be able to order?"

Feigning innocence, Kyoya shrugged and found an abrupt interest in his glass of water, "Oh? I have no idea what you are talking about." She didn't believe the act for a second.

"Kyoya," She said warningly, her eyes shining.

"Haruhi," He mimicked her tone, though his defense had already fallen, "Well, could you have ordered anything on your own?" At that, she slumped a little. He had gotten her there.

Smiling victoriously, he leaned closer towards her, "I had predicted you would have trouble reading the menu, let alone pick out what was good and what wasn't. This must be your first time in a four star hotel, isn't it? So I thought it would save you the trouble and embarrassment if I ordered for you, though if somehow my calculations were incorrect, you were free to change any of the courses I selected. I even asked your father what sort of dishes you would like, though I took a few guesses myself, I hope you don't mind the selection."

Haruhi couldn't help but stare wide eyed at Kyoya. He had actually taken the time to consider her needs...It was almost too shocking to believe.

A few moments later, the food arrived and Haruhi was thrown even further into wordless awe. A heaping plate of fatty tuna, a bowl of rice, and a small serving of miso soup was placed in front of her. All of it smelled insanely delicious. It reminded her of a traditional Japanese meal, nothing too flashy but not so humble to be called too homely.

"Something the matter? Is it not to your liking?" Kyoya asked, almost sounding worried. For him, a plate of spicy looking fried rice and a side of peppered chopped vegetables.

Haruhi shook her head, taking the chopsticks into her hand and taking a bite of tuna. "Thank you," She mumbled, almost inaudibly. A smile crossed Kyoya's features as he noticed the color in her cheeks. Step two: Success.

A good portion of the dinner passed in relative companionable conversation. The topics ranging from the weather to the latest cosplay they had to do in club. Though, Kyoya became a little touchy when they started involving the Host Club, so he used a good majority of his charisma to keep the conversation away from it.

It was turning out to be a relatively pleasant evening by the time their empty plates were cleared and the waiter informed them dessert was to be arriving soon. It was now Haruhi thought it best to ask the question that had been bothering her for a good majority of the day.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Kyoya?" She asked as blunt as ever.

No matter how long Kyoya seemed to know Haruhi, she would never fail to find a way to catch him off guard.

He blinked, trying to comprehend the question, "...Excuse me?"

Haruhi cleared her throat, looking unsure for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Are you dating someone? It was something that I've been wondering. You're rich, smart, and hell, you're better looking than most guys I know..." She noticed the aghast expression on Kyoya's face, "I-It just struck me as odd and...Well, you know it's okay to tell me, right? I wouldn't hold it against you or anything...I'm just curious," She concluded in a rush of air, clearly getting flustered by the unwavering stare Kyoya was giving her.

Right then, Kyoya's mind was going into overdrive, trying hard to control his growing urge to hold her. Either that or slam his head into the table, because _seriously,_ this girl just knew how to screw up his composure.

...But this is what he had been working for, wasn't it? To get his feelings across...Kyoya sighed, visibly forcing himself to relax.

"Yes...There is a girl I like," He started, hesitant at first, not quite sure how to come about the topic. It didn't help that Haruhi was hanging onto every word he was saying. "...But I'm afraid she's not one to be very perceptive on issues that concern her. It's quite frustrating to have to deal with her sometimes, but I must admit, she does have her good points," He paused, gaging her reaction. So far, no recognition light up her face, "I've known her for some time now, but I've never found the chance to officially propose anything yet."

Haruhi only stared at him with a blank expression, "She must be an amazing girl, having stumped even you, the great Ootori. I wonder...Do I know her?"

..._Contacting Miss Fujioka, please wait_..._Beep_..._Beep_..._I'm sorry, but the party you have tried to reach is not available at this moment, please hang up and try again_...

Kyoya inwardly kicked himself at that moment. Unbelievable, just _unbelievable_. He shook his head at first, then stopped and nodded his head distractedly. "Yes Haruhi, you know her," He said almost wearily. It would take a few minutes for him to regain his lost confidence again.

Ignorant to Kyoya's inner turmoil, Haruhi stood up from her chair, "Ah, I see. I'm sorry, but could you tell me where the restroom is?" Without much thought, Kyoya gave her the specified instructions and watched as she walked off in the direction he had gestured to.

Once she was out of sight, Kyoya hunched forward, groaning in frustration. He remembered that he was supposed to be forward with her, but every time the chance appeared, he couldn't bring himself to do more than hint...And hint...And hint some more. It was starting to become obvious that being blunt was not one of Kyoya's strongest traits. He was more a man of going the roundabout way, forcing the other to come to their own conclusions.

For once, Kyoya was starting to regret being that kind of man.

"K-Kyoya Ootori? Is that you? You look quite different since the last seen you!" A soft voice called out, shaking Kyoya out of his dismal thoughts.

When he looked up, he found himself staring at a familiar face. Smiling, he greeted the old acquaintance, "Kameko Hayata? My, it's been a while..."

Haruhi splashed some water on her face, glaring holes into her reflection in the mirror.

One moment longer and she might have lost it. Though she had little idea as to why.

Wasn't it suppose to be a relief that she found out Kyoya had a crush? (But she had to admit that it was a little scary to think of Kyoya in a love-y dove-y relationship with someone) After all, it would snuff out any misinformation her brain could concoct up. Ah, unfortunately though, relief was the least of what Haruhi felt from the news.

Furiously, she rubbed at her face with water, shaking her head and making her curls go everywhere. This was stupid, there was no need for her feel so frustrated! She balls her hands into fists, a sign of her determination to let her abnormal, erratic feelings go. Right, she's going to clean herself up (because her hair was an absolute mess now) and go out there as calm and collected as ever.

Hell, if Kyoya had a girlfriend, really, why should it bother her? She was just his friend and friends should support each other, not get mad! (Or so Tamaki keeps telling her...)

"Kameko Hayata? My, it's been a while," Kyoya said, smiling at the young lady before him.

She smiled back, "I know, three months has been so long! How are you? Are you here by yourself?" Kameko eyed the empty table for two.

Kyoya shook his head, "No, I'm not. I'm here with a friend. Ah, here comes the dessert." He gestured to an approaching waiter carrying one small plate of strawberry drizzled shortcake.

A brief confused look crossed the elegant features of Kameko's face as she followed the plate with her eyes, a small frown crossing her pink lips, "Cake...? But you don't like sweets, or so I remember..."

Again, Kyoya shook his head, chuckling, "Oh, no no, I still detest sweets. This is for my friend, I know she enjoys strawberries."

The befuddled look disappeared almost instantly off of Kameko's face, a sweet grin on her face, "_'She'_? My, what a lucky girl! What I would do to be in her place. Oh, is that her now? The cute brunette heading this way?" Kameko gestured in the direction of the unmistakable form of Haruhi, waving when their eyes met, "Well, I think I should stop making my father wait for me. Nice seeing you again, Kyoya. Have fun~" She giggled as she bid farewell and walked off.

Walking out of the restroom, Haruhi spotted the her right away. It was a tall, skinny dark haired girl. Her features were long and elegant, flawless, Haruhi dared to admit. She looked intelligent, well bred, yet a little childish and innocent.

Kameko Hayata.

Yes, she knew her. Of course she did, who didn't? She was the daughter of the owner of the largest hotel chain in all of Europe, just starting to branch out in Japan. Her face was on all the magazines, newspapers, and T.V shows.

In short, she made the perfect match for Kyoya.

Haruhi almost tripped over her own two feet when Kameko turned and waved in her direction. Jeez! She looked so much prettier in real life!

As Kameko walked away from the table, Haruhi approached it. Kyoya seemed to busy himself with fiddling with a dessert plate that had the most delicious looking strawberry shortcake Haruhi had ever laid her eyes on.

"You know Kameko Hayata?" Haruhi asked, getting straight to the point as she sat down.

Kyoya seemed to jump at the name, she noted silently.

"...Yes, we are childhood friends. It was a coincidence that she happened to be here, it has been a while since I've last seen her...Ah, but Haruhi, that's not important, here, this is your dessert. Please, eat it while it's fresh." He quickly changed the subject to the cake he had been fiddling with, pushing the plate closer to Haruhi, who felt her mouth water at the mere sight of it.

She felt as if there was more to it than what he had said, but let the subject drop. Right now, there was some cake to be eaten! (Oh jeez, Hunny was rubbing off on her).

The remainder of the dinner passed by without much of interest. In the end, that night had been pleasant (Almost worth it for that hell of a spa day, she would admit) and Haruhi was dropped off at her home at an reasonable time.

While standing at her doorway, the air was heavy with anticipation between the two "friends". Neither Haruhi nor Kyoya knew exactly how to proceed next. Was there to be a good night kiss, were they to just part ways with a friendly shoulder pat, or maybe just stand there all night until they froze to death?

Kyoya's hand twitched, wanting to do more than just hang limp at his side as Haruhi gulped, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Well..." Kyoya started, his sentence trailing off,

"Well, tonight was nice. Thank you," Haruhi finished smiling, holding her hand out for a friendly handshake. If he wasn't going to take the initiative she was, "Even though I was kind of forced to do this, it wasn't too bad. But please remember your part of the deal, that my debt gets cut by one forth, okay?"

Inwardly, Kyoya cringed. Outwardly, he sighed, "Oh, yes...I almost forgot about that..." He hesitated, as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to do what came next, "I will do that, of course. Though I hope that next time (if there is a next time), I wouldn't have to resort to bribery." With each word he felt himself growing confident and regaining his composure Haruhi seemed to continuously shatter that evening. He gentle took her outstretch hand and brought it to his lips, smiling as he watched her flinch at the sudden touch, "And when I said you looked stunning this evening, please believe me when I say that, for once, it was not a lie." He allowed himself another kiss on her hand before releasing it and turning to walk away.

"Good night, Haruhi."

It must have been hours, or at least what felt like hours (and in actuality was only a matter of minutes) that Haruhi stood there, mesmerized, Kyoya already long gone. She was thankful that it was dark and no one was there to see her blushing madly in the middle of her doorstep.

Later that evening, in the privacy of his bedroom, Kyoya collapsed onto his bed, grinning like a fool (Darn that Tamaki, rubbing off on him). He could feel success in his grasp, though he knew well enough that it was too early to celebrate. But he couldn't help but revel in the fact that the dinner worked so well (in his opinion). He was at least a lot closer in confessing his feelings.

Luckily, tomorrow would be a brighter day, for Kyoya already had a part two to that plan of his.

He heaved himself off the bed and planted himself in front of his computer on his desk, getting to work on an e-mail to Ranka.

A/N: Ahahaha, I'm really sorry for how long this took me, but hah! Look at the size of this chapter! Five pages bigger than the normal~

Oh, from here on, the updates should be closer together. I want to try and finish this relatively soon...(And yes, the Host Club, Tamaki included, will be making a reappearance!)


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh Haruhi~"

Haruhi glanced over her shoulder, flipping the eggs expertly in the pan as she did so. "Yes, dad? What is it?" It was Sunday morning and it was Haruhi's turn to make breakfast.

The night before, after Haruhi was finally able to move her feet again, as soon as Ranka came home, he bombarded her with questions and feminine squeals of happiness. It took her at least a whole hour and a half to get her father to calm down and release her so she could go to bed, ready to fall asleep standing by that point. When morning came around, Haruhi was relieved that the whole dinner/date thing with Kyoya was finally done and over with (Or _ha ha_, so she thinks).

"Are you going shopping today?" Ranka asked from his spot on the floor, casually sipping tea. Even her father had yet to bring it up again.

There was a moment's pause as Haruhi dumped the eggs onto two plates, "No, I don't think so. I was planning on cleaning today. I was hoping to get to that closet Tamaki occupied the last time he was here, it's starting to smell..." Her voice trailed off as she added slices of bacon to the pan.

Ranka's nose crinkled in disgust at the mention of that man's name. "How rude of him to start cultivating mushrooms in our closet! He should do it at his house. Goodness knows how many closets he has there," He huffed, roughly pounding his tea cup down on the table.

Haruhi sighed, "I think he's using it as an excuse to come over. Best I get rid of it by the end of the day. That way I can break the news to him tomorrow."

Her father nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes! I don't want that idiot visiting anymore!" Then he stopped in mid-nod and started, almost frantically, shaking his head, "Wait, no, no, no! The closet can wait, Haruhi, I need you to go shopping today."

The bacon finally done, Haruhi dumped those onto the plates as well. "Huh? Why? Do you need something? I'm sure we haven't run out of milk yet, or do you need more shaving cream?" She asked wearily without looking up from her cooking duty. Yeah, she still hasn't forgotten the last time her dad tried waking her up with a golf club.

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" Ranka pouted at his daughter's coldness, "Ah, but no, I don't need more shaving cream. I actually want you to get something for me."

Walking over with their breakfast, Haruhi tilted her head in confusion, "Like what? I'm not getting you the new Zuka poster that just came out, just so you know."

"What? They came out with a new one?" Ranka gaped, a look of puppy love seizing his womanly features. Catching himself, he coughed, "Ah, that...Unfortunately, must wait as well. Haruhi, I want you to buy me a tie. I don't know what's nice looking anymore, so I want my beautiful daughter to decide~ Plus! It'll be extra special since I know you picked it out with your own eyes~" He cooed holding his hands close to his chest, "A tie from Haruhi~ So cute~"

Haruhi stared at her father as he wiggled about in happiness, not impressed. "Dad," She said in a tone that immediately made Ranka freeze, "Who is this really for?" (Because, obviously, her dad had no need for a tie).

Sucking in a quick breath, Ranka chuckled nervously, "F-for me, of course! Who else deserves a tie hand picked by Haruhi?" When her stare didn't waver, Ranka gulped, "Uh..Would you believe me if I said it was for my boss?" She shook her head and Ranka's awkward smile drooped into a frown. After a few more minutes of Haruhi's piercing stare, Ranka threw his hands up in surrender,

"Okay, okay, just please stop glaring at papa like that (It's scaring me). Look," He took a deep breath, practically spitting out the next sentence, "I want you to go out and buy a tie for Kyoya."

For a moment, Haruhi sat there, just looking at her father. It was as if a blizzard suddenly whipped through the room, the temperature taking a sudden plunge. "I'm sorry, but it sounded as if you just asked me to do something incredibly unreasonable," Haruhi spoke calm enough, yet her eyes said something entirely different.

Despite himself, Ranka cringed in fright of his daughter. However, he wasn't about to back down just yet. "Haruhi, don't say that! It's completely sensible to get him something in return for taking you out to such a nice dinner," He said, skillfully keeping a straight face as he did so.

The blizzard faltered a bit, "That may be true, but that still doesn't..."

"Which probably cost him hundreds," Ranka continued, "Where did you say this was at? The Grand Tokyo A Hotel?"

"Yes, bu-"

"_And_ he treated you to a spa beforehand? That alone must've been at least a thousand or so,"

Haruhi sputtered, "Hey! I didn't even want that!" Ranka had the upper hand now, eying his daughter with a disappointed look on his face.

"He's spent all this money on you and still, you don't even think to give him some compensation in return? Not even a measly tie?" He sighed wearily, taking a sip of his tea. "Here I thought I raised you better than this," He sounded so devastated...

Haruhi jumped to her feet, dropping her fork onto her untouched plate as she did so. "Alright, _fine_! I'll go shopping for the guy," She exclaimed, disappearing into the next room and returning with a coat and purse.

Though he may have pissed off Haruhi, it was still a victory for him. Ranka, obviously trying hard not to smile called out after her, "It doesn't need to be a tie, mind you, just something nice! Have fun, my darling Haruhi~ No hard feelings, though, right?"

His only answer was the slamming of the front door.

Haruhi's temper wavered as she walked from store to store. It felt unusual to be on this side of town, staring through windows of stores she never even dreamed of walking into. She frowned, standing outside of a rather expensive looking store, employees decked out in suits and ties eying her with indifference. It was almost like they just knew she couldn't afford anything by just looking at her.

Still frowning, Haruhi walked away. The store sold nothing but purses anyways.

She decided to sit on a nearby bench, listlessly staring at the store across from her that sold watches and pens. What was she to get him? Sure, she could go with her dad's suggestion and get Kyoya a tie, but if she thought about it, a guy like Kyoya probably has a hundred of ties. Or maybe, she could try get him one of those nice Rolex watches or even a glasses case. Well, since she's dreaming, she might as well buy him a pony and a nice little island off the coast of Asia too.

Haruhi slumped forward, inwardly reeling in defeat. What do you get a guy who already has everything, and if he doesn't have it could just easily go out and buy it?

Maybe her dad was right, it'd be simpler if she just got him a tie...

"_Eeehhh__?_ Haruhi? What are you doing here?" A surprised voice called out, making Haruhi look up.

"Good morning, Tamaki," She greeted, standing up to meet the tall blond who was wearing a nicely pressed business suit, "I'm here doing some shopping. You?"

Tamaki scratched the back of his head, chuckling, "Oh, papa just had some business to attend to, but I just finished! Hey, hey, since I'm free let's hang out!" He said, smiling eagerly like a little kid.

Shaking her head, Haruhi crossed her arms, "No thanks! I don't want to babysit today," She said, making to just walk off, but Tamaki would have none of that. Before she could get far, he gently tugged on her sleeve,

He was pouting now, "That's so mean! Why would you need to babysit your father?" Then he broke out into a broad grin again, "Isn't this your first time here, though Haruhi? I can help you find whatever seems to be eluding you!" It appears that he had noticed her slumped in defeat earlier.

Haruhi spun around with a frown on her face. "Fine, let's go," she mumbled, gesturing for him to follow. Tamaki easily caught up with her, matching his long strides with her short ones. Playfully, he tussled her hair (which made her heart jump embarrassingly),

"So what are you looking for, Haruhi? A lot of these stores are probably too much for you...Oh, I know!" He stepped in front of her, face bright in anticipation while hers was red from the close proximities of their faces, "You came here to buy daddy a present! You know I don't need anything expensive, as long as its from Haruhi I wouldn't care if it was a lowly pencil, because father understands your money problems! Your daughterly affection is enough for me! Here, give father a hug~" Tamaki opened his arms, welcoming an embrace as he cooed in a fatherly tone he often used with Haruhi (Well, more like him sounding like an idiot, but it was all the same to her).

Turning her head to control her heartbeat, Haruhi pushed him away. "I'm not shopping for you, Tamaki," She said rather bluntly as she walked past him, though stopping short to glance at him over her shoulder, "...Do you know where I can find relatively decently priced ties?" The faster she found the gift, the faster she could get out of there and away from Tamaki.

He was currently crying in the inside, however, at Haruhi's coldness (though he should be use to it by now). When he didn't respond, Haruhi sighed and started walking again. She just wanted to get away from him at this point, before he made her even more uncomfortable.

Almost to the next store, Tamaki finally snapped back into reality. "Wait, Haruhi! I know just the place!" He exclaimed, catching up to her and pulling her arm in the direction of the store he had in mind, "They have these really cute ties I think you'll like! (_because he came to the conclusion the tie is for herself_) And they're really cheap as well! C'mon slowpoke, hurry up~" He laughed, making Haruhi's cheeks turn red at the sound, despite the annoyance she felt.

As the two (one of them, rather reluctantly), ran into a cutesy sort of shop, Kyoya sat down at a table across from the store. He rested his head in his hand and impatiently tapped his fingers against the table. Having been there for three hours already, he had been hoping to run into Haruhi by now. After sending that e-mail to Ranka and discussing the date as well as going over the next morning's plans, Kyoya had strategically narrowed down the potential shopping districts Haruhi would have gone to, to this one he was currently in.

It had been all laid out in his mind that he would happen to "run into Haruhi" by coincidence and Kyoya having offered to buy her lunch, would eventually convince her to spend the day with him.

Ah, but it seems all that planning had been all in vain since Haruhi never showed up.

He sighed, not all plans can go without a hitch, now could they? At least he didn't have much work left to do that weekend. Having decided to wait another hour before heading home, Kyoya pulled out a little book from his pocket, immersing himself in numbers and profits. It helped a little to take his mind off of Haruhi, a frequently intruder to his thoughts these days.

From the outside, you could get a hint of how girlish and feminine the store was. The pink flowery wallpaper and patterned carpet. Even the ceiling was decorated with unnervingly cute designs of circles, bunnies and cats. Wavy lamps, and glowing orbs hanging in a chic way from the ceiling, suspended above customers who were typical female high school students.

However, once you stepped inside, you wouldn't be able to help yourself questioning a man's presence and sexuality if he were ever caught shopping in this store. Which is exactly what Haruhi had to wonder when she entered the store, Tamaki heading straight for a specific display rack as if he's shopped here a bunch of times before.

"Tamaki...I don't think I'll find a suitable tie here..." Haruhi sputtered, partly paralyzed by the sheer girlishness of the store. Though she may not be the best gift giver in the world, it was quite obvious she wasn't going to find something "Kyoya like" in here. Actually, this was _definitely_ the last place on earth she would ever find something suitable for the Demon Lord.

Ignoring Haruhi's unusually meek objections, Tamaki shuffled around the display of ties, each one designed with some sort of wacky logo or another. Suddenly he revealed a bright red tie covered with little yellow crowns, "How's this one?" He placed it over Haruhi's shirt and spun her around to face a mirror.

An eyebrow rose in question as she pushed his hand back towards his own chest, "I think this one suits _you_ more." After all, he did enjoy calling himself the "king of the Host Club".

At her comment, Tamaki reddened a little, "R-really?" When she nodded, he had to cover his face with his hand, appearing to tear up a little. Haruhi looked at him in shock, about to ask him what's wrong when he practically tackled her in the spot. "_Ooooh_, that is just too cute~! I'm definitely getting this~ It has Haruhi's seal of approval!" He squealed at the top of his lungs, much to Haruhi's chagrin (since he was right in front of her ear).

She had to shove him off of her in order to breathe again, her face flushed in embarrassment as well as irritation. "Don't do that!" She snapped, busying herself by browsing through the ties, "Here, what do you think about this one?" In her hand was a rather plain tie, it was dark purple with a faintly outlined black rose at the bottom

Tamaki, who was still gushing with happiness at Haruhi's comment nodded vigorously, flashing a thumbs up, "Sure! That one looks super cool!" With his free hand, (the other covered in ties he had been looking at) he grabbed another tie, this one had a large picture of a raccoon on it, "I think this one suits you, Haruhi!" She could only stare at the tie in utter horror, her wordless dislike lost on Tamaki who started grabbing more ties, each growing cutesier and cutesier as he continuously commented how they all looked wonderful on her. Eventually, after Haruhi finally told him to stop and picked out a tie covered in white and pink hearts of various sizes out of the massive clump he had on his arm, he unceremoniously dumped all the unnecessary ties back onto the rack, and while making a mad dash for the register exclaimed, "Alright, it's decided! I'll buy these ties for my lovely daughter! Oh, hand me that purple one you're holding, I'll pay for that too."

Before Haruhi could stop him, Tamaki swiped the tie from her hands and handed it to the dazzled clerk (she doesn't see too many boys, the store being such a cutesy store and all).

"W-wait a minute Tamaki, I can pay for mine..." Her next words died in her throat noticing the prices as they flashed across the register. _$500_ for the purple tie and _$450_ for the hearts one. Yeah, she was definitely not expecting that.

Tamaki's sense of "cheap" was quite different from Haurhi's sense of "cheap" it appears. Inwardly Haruhi screamed, _what kind of tie is $500_?

Unaware to Haruhi's turmoil, Tamaki paid the cashier and patted Haruhi on the head. "See? No problem at all~ Daddy likes to spoil his adorable daughter~" She mentally cursed him and his wealth, but in the back of her mind she couldn't help but worry if Kyoya would like the tie anyways. Maybe it was a little too girlish for his tastes, she helplessly thought as they walked out of the store.

Looking up, _oh, speak of the devil_. There he was, Kyoya himself, sitting at a table unaware of her presence as his attention was directed at...

Haruhi froze, her eyes almost popping out of her head.

Leaning in front of Kyoya, smiling that dazzling smile of hers, was Kameko.

"If we keep running into each other like this, I would almost say it was destined!" An unmistakable giggle in front of him made Kyoya look up from his book.

The smile that crossed his face was automatic by now, "Oh, pleasure to see you again, Kameko."

His politeness made her laugh even more. "No no, the pleasure is all mine, dear Kyoya," She took a short breath, recovering from her little laughing fit, "So what brings out here? "Alone" again, perhaps?"

Kyoya lazily leaned his head against his hand, "Unfortunately, I'm actually by myself today. I was hoping to meet up with a friend, but I guess there were some changes in the plan..." He sighed, looking rather dejected. It appears that it was quite easy to let his guard down in front of Kameko, things really haven't changed much since three months ago.

Feigning a look of surprise, Kameko brought a hand to her mouth, "The great Ootori was ditched? My, my, someone's looking for punishment." When Kyoya shot her a stern look, she merely brushed it off with a wave of her hand, "Oh, don't look so angry. You look much cuter when you smile. Well, since we both appear to be free, why don't you grace me with your company today? We have lots to catch up on since our last meet."

His lips thinned into a line as he shook his head. "Kameko...You realize that I'm not interested in picking up from where we were last, correct? I do not see you that way anymore," He said calmly, almost casually. It would do no good to lead her on (again), when he's interested in someone else this time.

At first a look of hurt broke through her lovely features, but just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. She smiled coyly, leaning closer towards Kyoya as she fluttered her eyes in a seducing manner, "I know that, Kyoya. There's nothing wrong with me wanting to stay friends, no?" Kyoya's stare did not waver from her face, "But, if there's ever a chance you change your mind...I wouldn't mind taking you back."

Kyoya leaned closer to her, catching on to her little act. Smiling just as wolfishly as her, he whispered, "My apologizes, Kameko, but I rather not. Though I have nothing against being _friends_." Their faces were only inches away from each other, almost touching in an intimate way.

Kameko broke the contact first, standing straight again. Still grinning she said, "Oh well, that's just too bad then. I'm jealous of this "friend" of yours, she really is lucky to have your attention. I know what it feels like. Unfortunately, though, I also know that once you have your mind set, there's nothing that's going to stop you." She laughed again, but this time it sounded slightly off, even to her ears, "I guess I'll see you around then, Kyoya. I think I see your "friend" glaring at us," She gestured at the store across from them, Kyoya's head immediately whipping in that direction.

...And just as she had said, there was Haruhi, staring at him wide eyed with shock etched into every feature. He felt his heart stop for one aching moment as he realized what exactly she must have seen.

But she didn't hold attention for long, standing right beside her was that blasted idiot Tamaki and much to Kyoya's irritation, he had a hand affectionately on top of her head, laughing about some idiotic thing or another. It made his blood boil, more so than the hurt he felt.

For a moment, their eyes met, Tamaki waving wildly as the oblivious idiot he was. Haruhi merely turned away, stomping off towards the main street, causing Tamaki to immediately run after her.

Kyoya almost lost it, instead pounding his fist against the table in frustration. He turned to address Kameko again, but she was already gone, much to his relief. Replacing the book back into his pocket, Kyoya got to his feet and stormed off into the opposite direction that Haruhi had gone in. He felt the urge to kill rising and it was unfortunate that he was public.

So much for Sunday plans.

As Haruhi stomped past stores, Tamaki was left utterly confused and oblivious to what had just happened. Since he had no knowledge of the whole "gay" thing which had led to the whole "date" thing, Tamaki had absolutely no idea what kind of tension was going on between the two. What he did know was that one, Haruhi was pissed off at something that involved Kyoya and two, she was definitely too angry to pay attention to where she was going.

"Haruhi, wait a second. Calm down," Tamaki pleaded, being serious for once. Haruhi only snorted. Her head was spinning too much to care. "You have to stop! You're heading right fo-" He didn't get to complete his sentence as Haruhi stepped onto the crosswalk during a red light.

Luckily, before she could get any farther, Tamaki pulled her back onto the safety of the sidewalk. Temporarily startled out of her rampage, Haruhi shook her head, regaining her bearings as she felt herself pressed against Tamaki.

Looking rather angry, Tamaki stared down at her, "That's it. You are obviously not fit to walk home by yourself. Come on, I'm giving you a ride. _No objections_." He said the last part with such finality, Haruhi was practically helpless as she was dragged towards Tamaki's awaiting limo.

The ride back to Haruhi's apartments was, for the most part, a silent one. Despite Tamaki's efforts in getting Haruhi to talk, Haruhi proved herself as stubborn as a bull, keeping her lips sealed. By the time Haruhi stepped out of the car, Tamaki's temper had dwindled to concern rather then anger. Before Haruhi left, Tamaki grabbed her sleeve (for what felt like the hundredth time that day).

She turned, unamused, but he only smiled, "Whatever this thing is with Kyoya, I'm sure it's nothing serious. Kyoya's a good guy. Really, he is...But if you want to talk about this, call me, okay? It's not healthy to dwell too long on things, and you know I care for my daughter's health!" For once, Haruhi actually cracked a smile at him (well, half a smile, but it's a start). She nodded, muttering a small "thank you" and he let go, letting her close the door.

As the car drove off, Tamaki noticed the bags lying on the floor. It seems he's going to have to give Haruhi her ties tomorrow.

A/N: Tsk, tsk, jealousy will get you nowhere!

It feels like I abused the words "cute" & "cutesy" in this chapter. Fortunately though, I doubt anyone's returning to that store~

Oh and just in case you're wondering why Tamaki didn't notice Kameko, it's because she had already walked off before he fully registered what exactly Haruhi was gaping at.

And thank you very much for all the kind reviews, alerts, and favorites! ;A; I appreciate them all!


	6. Chapter 6

That very evening, at Haninozuka Mansion, Hunny was making his way through yet another heaping pile of cake. For Mori, another plate of fermented soybeans. It had been like this for a few hours already as the two of them had nothing to say while they enjoyed their favorite foods in the comfort of Hunny's balcony that overlooked the garden.

Though silence, like all silence, must be broken some time or another. However, the one to speak first was usually the one who seemed to rather prefer the quiet.

"What do you think now?"* Mori asked, placing the now empty plate down. The eldest of the two at first, did not reply, too busy consuming his tenth, maybe twentieth cake.

When he did though, he still picked at the crumbs, "Well, it's obvious Hikaru still has an attachment to Haruhi. So does Kaoru, but he's not as serious as about it..." His sentence trailed off as a nearby servant replaced his dessert with another helping of cake, Mori waved him off when presented with another plate as well. Once the servant was out of earshot, Hunny frowned slightly, "Then there's Kyoya and Tamaki. It's obvious both have some sort of feeling for Haruhi, yet neither seem to know how to act upon it."

"Tamaki is still oblivious to both," Mori pointed out and Hunny couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"And that, will be Tama's downfall," Hunny concluded right as another servant addressed him.

The old man spoke in a reserved tone, "Master Haninozuka, there is a Mr. Kaoru Hitachiin requesting to see you." He gestured to a man waiting outside the slightly open door of the room that led onto the balcony, looking more than a little bristled by something.

Hunny, immediately perking up, waved the twin in, "Kaoru! Come in, come in! What are you doing here? Please, have a seat," The senior gestured to the seat on the side Mori did not occupy as Kaoru sulkily walked onto the balcony. He nodded his head in greeting towards them before promptly falling into his seat.

"What's with the funny face, Kaoru? Something wrong?" Hunny asked innocently as another tea cup was placed in front of Kaoru.

The younger redhead angrily ran his hands through his hair which had been obviously been harassed in such a manner quite frequently recently by the mangled looks of it. He groaned, "With the all the thinking I've done recently, I'm surprised my head hasn't exploded from the excess weight. First Hikaru and now...Kyoya?" His voice trailed off and he gave what he hoped were, meaningful glances to the seniors across from him.

Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief when both returned the looks. Mori was the one to confirm it with a definite answer and a nod, "We know."

Visibly more relaxed than when he had first walked in, the twin wrapped his hands around the now filled cup of tea and sighed again, "Good, good, I didn't want to explain myself. I almost blew it with Hikaru and we all know what he would have done if he found out he had one more competitor." Hunny and Mori exchanged looks of sympathy as Kaoru continued, "He was already on edge because Tamaki called earlier. Can you believe what he said? "Knowing you two and your kiddish behavior, you both would definitely do something to annoy my precious daughter! Well, I have called to warn you both, Hikaru and Kaoru! Do not bother Haruhi on Monday. She's had a rough weekend and the last thing she needs are two annoying little brothers! Besides, you guys have the rest of the week, just definitely not Monday. Oh and before I go, the taboo word of the week is Kyoya! Got it? I trust you both in keeping your word. Farewell," and he just hung up! Really! What was up with that?" Shaking his head, Kaoru slumped further in his chair. Probably in another situation, he would have laughed at Tamaki's words.

"Thankfully, Hikaru didn't understand what milord meant, but _I'm_ confused by what he said. Haruhi? Weekend? Kyoya? I've noticed Haruhi acting strangely on Thursday and Friday and I knew it had something to do with Kyoya, but I couldn't imagine...Well, I don't know! It just that something happened this weekend between Kyoya and Haruhi, and somehow Tamaki got involved and none of this makes any sense!" His words spilled out in a rush of breath, like air whooshing out of a balloon and when he was finally done he seemed to literally deflate in his chair.

Hunny bit down on his fork as he contemplated Kaoru's rant. A few moments passed, each lost in their own thoughts. "When you said Haruhi was acting strangely, what did you mean?" Hunny asked finally, taking the fork out of his mouth.

Waving his hand vaguely in the air, Kaoru struggled with his words, "Well...I don't know if she really meant it, since she was half asleep, but it seems that she accused our Demon Lord of being gay." A faint smirk crossed his lips, "It was funny! She must've been a little freaked out by it, since it appears that she didn't get any sleep. She even blamed Hikaru and I for drugging the tea!"

An unreadable expression crossed Hunny's face, his voice soft, "Blaming Kyoya of being gay? That would explain why he kept giving her looks during club and why she refused to look at him the entire time. Though, that does that mean they didn't resolve it before the weekend? Maybe something happened after school Friday..." His thoughts turned towards that afternoon two days ago when Mori and him left Haruhi at the clutches of Kyoya. Now looking back on it, he felt a little sorry, but surely, it couldn't have ended that badly!

Kaoru took a cautious sip of the hot tea, an eyebrow raised, "Huh? Kyoya giving Haruhi looks? I guess I missed that." The rest of Hunny's sentence had been lost to him. The twin's gaze drifted towards the setting sun over the horizon of the Haninozuka's land, "So, does Haruhi like Kyoya or does Kyoya like Haruhi?"

"Why not both?" Hunny chimed in, playing with the cake in front of him he had lost interest in.

Kaoru turned back to his senior, a funny look on his face. "What? Haruhi and Kyoya together? No way! Can't be, Haruhi is blunt and has holds no value in money and Kyoya is manipulative and money is his life. If they got together, there would be hell to pay!" He said before promptly bursting out laughing.

The younger man's reaction made Hunny frown, "You're missing the point, Kaoru. Haruhi is smart and can, if she tries, stand up to par with Kyoya and his malicious ways. Through Kyoya's eyes, Haruhi is a person who won't use him for money and has no need of his friendship, therefore his manipulation would not work on her. She is a challenge." Kaoru only shook his head and continued to chuckle.

"I still can't see it. She seems more compatible with Tamaki, don't you think? (My apologies to Hikaru) Her common sense would keep Tamaki in check and he would always dote on her in a puppy-like manner. Ah, but look, it's getting late. Thank you for the tea and for letting me vent, I feel loads better now that I got it all off my chest. I seem to be doing that a lot, huh?"

Smiling, Hunny waved the comment off, "Don't worry about it, Kaoru. I don't mind you coming over! It's not good to keep things pinned up inside. But...What do you think we should do Monday? It sounds like Haruhi will be in a bad mood Monday and so will Kyoya."

Kaoru, who was getting to his feet, hesitated, "Well...I was thinking of telling Haru-"

"Tell her nothing."

Both Kaoru and Hunny turned towards the direction of Mori, who had stayed silent, but attentive the whole conversation until then. "Tell her nothing, do nothing out of the ordinary," Mori continued, "If there is a conflict between her and Kyoya, the best way to figure it out would be to watch. Before any of us are to act, we should learn the facts."

Scratching the back of his head, Kaoru thought it over, "Makes sense, I guess. I am just going on milord's word that something is going on with Kyoya and Haurhi and Tamaki's words are often birthed through misunderstanding." He sighed, "Alright, fine. I won't tell her nor Hikaru anything. Knowing him, he'd not be able to take it." With that, he bid the two farewell and left.

A few minutes later, Hunny spoke up again, "Should we tell them that it was _us_ that drugged Kyoya and Haruhi's tea? I feel kind of bad..."

Mori shook his head, finishing up his own tea, "If we hadn't, nothing would have happened. Besides, they would be mad that their decisions weren't by their own accord." Mori was really on a role today with his talking, Hunny noted happily.

"I see, I see," He nodded enthusiastically, taking a big chunk of his cake, "Reiko** will be happy to know that her "curse" worked!"

Neither could guess what was to happen the following day, but both knew that whatever was to happen would be interesting.

Haruhi ran down the halls as soon as the dismissal bell rang, her arms piled high with books. Why did it seem that she was the only one who was concerned about anything? All around her, people were talking and chattering away mindlessly, as if they hadn't a care in the world.

Oh, how Haruhi envied those people.

She turned down a silent hall and nearly lost her balance from running into someone. Biting back a curse, she struggled to keep the books from falling. Drats! She was hoping to get home without bumping into anyone...

"Did you check out the whole library or what?" The person asked in a familiar amused tone as they steadied the books and Haruhi.

She breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't Tamaki or Kyoya. "Oh hi, Kaoru," She greeted him once the pile didn't threaten to topple,"I was hoping to do some studying this afternoon."

Kaoru shot her an incredulous look, "Is that where you've been all day? The library? I didn't think you had it in you to skip class."

"I was still doing work!" Haruhi snapped, suddenly angry, "I had the teacher give me the plans this morning. Now, if you excuse me, I should get going. These books are kind of heavy..." She shifted uncomfortably underneath the weight, trying to stifle a yawn.

Frowning, Kaoru swiped one of the books on top of the pile, "What about club? There isn't anything major you should be studying for..." He glanced down at the cover of the book in his hand, "..._What_ is this?" If he could guess anything by the blunt title introducing the "mysteries" of male behavior, Haruhi wasn't exactly preparing herself for any normal classes.

"I'm not going to club today and it's nothing! It's just some project I have. Please, give it back! " She made for the book in Kaoru's hand, but he, being quite taller than her, was able to keep it out of her reach. It was then that he noticed the dark bags underneath her eyes.

He leaned closer towards her, much to her chagrin, "How much sleep did you get last night, Haruhi?" His eyes were narrowed suspiciously.

Haruhi snorted, turning away. "Enough!" She answered, immediately getting defensive, though it was obvious to both that she hardly had any. She sighed, shaking her head, "Just keep the book, Kaoru. I've got enough books to study." Now she sounded as tired as she looked.

Before she could get far, Kaoru was in her way again, "Oh no you don't, Haruhi. You are not going to do any studying today! Give me those," He exclaimed, taking all of her books this time. Despite her protests, Kaoru managed to balance the hefty books in one arm and wag his finger at her with the other, "You're going straight home to sleep! I'll return these to the library and tell the others you're not going to club. Staying up late is not good for your health!" _I'm sure if you were to take one step into the club room in that mood, heads will roll. Most likely, one of the __megane__ type_, he added mentally, the discussion he had the previous day coming back to him.

Looking dejected, Haruhi mumbled, "You sound like Tamaki."

"Yeah? Well, Tamaki isn't the only one who cares about you!" Kaoru snapped then spun on his heel to stomp in the direction of the library. "And get some sleep, Haruhi!" He called back, disappearing around the corner, leaving a rather frustrated and stressed Haruhi behind. The whole "not the only one who cares" thing going right over her head.

She groaned, leaning against the wall behind her as she rubbed at her eyes. It wasn't entirely her fault for suddenly getting irritated with Kaoru, who for once hadn't done anything to invoke her wrath in the first place. Mostly, the blame belonged to her lack of sleep.

After that whole Kyoya incident, she collapsed right onto the floor and stayed there all night, not once closing her eyes. Even her father couldn't move her. As soon as the sun was up, she was out of the house and promptly locked herself away in the school's library, after receiving the day's work, of course. She was hoping to get at least an hour or so of sleep in, but all she managed to do was stress herself even more by continuous study and squinting at small text in the darkest parts of the library.

Yeah, not one of her smartest decisions, but whenever she tried to sleep, the same image of Kameko and Kyoya close enough to kiss popped into her head...Or did they kiss? Her mind was so muddled by lack of sleep that the image seemed to change itself.

Shaking her head and slapping herself a few times, Haruhi got back to her feet. Maybe she should take Kaoru's advice. It would be bad if she ran into Tamaki or Kyoya in this state, she wasn't sure if she could handle her heartbeat going erratic as it has been recently.

Unfortunately, fate was not on her side today.

"Haruhi! Oh, there you are!" The familiar voice of Tamaki called out as he started approaching her.

Turning towards Tamaki, Haruhi was able to put on her best "I'm-irritated-at-you" expression. Well, it really wasn't that hard since she was. "What do you want, Tamaki?" She growled, silently praying that Tamaki would catch on that she didn't want to talk to him now or miss the fact that she looked rather haggard.

She felt half-relieved that he jumped back at her ferociousness, "Eek! Scary Haruhi! You're still mad about me driving you home, aren't you?" He cried, but he quickly shook it off and gave her a big smile, "But I know what will cheer you up! By any chance did you forget anything yesterday?" His grin grew even bigger at her blank expression as he produced two neatly wrapped boxes seemingly out of nowhere.

"Your ties!" He exclaimed, extravagantly offering the boxes to Haruhi as if they were glass slippers, "See? I didn't forget~ When daddy buys you gifts, he doesn't give them to you half-heartedly! I even wrapped them up just for you. Don't you think the pink ribbon is cute? Come on, open them up! Daddy wants to see the expression on your face when you do~" He continued to gush in that manner even while Haruhi stood there, eyes transfixed in horror at the ties she had entirely forgotten about.

Crap! She was suppose to give Kyoya them! She may be mad at him, though it was unknown as to why his personal life bothered her so, but she didn't want to be rude. Her father had made a point, he did kind of spend a lot on her...

Haruhi took a deep breath. "Tamaki," She said as calmly as possible, interrupting his rant about how cute she would look when she opened the boxes, "One of those ties are actually for Kyoya, you know, the purple one? Would you mind delivering it for me? I really have to get home." Tamaki, who stiffened at the mention of Kyoya's name, for once was silenced.

For a moment, Haruhi worried that Tamaki was going to snap at her, but in actuality, the usually unused gears in his head were turning.

"For Kyoya...?" He echoed and Haruhi could only nod dumbly.

When he suddenly burst out grinning an even bigger grin then before, Haruhi wasn't sure if she should be relieved or even more frightened. "Then come on! You have to deliver this yourself! Kyoya should be in the club room already!" He exclaimed, grabbing her by the hand and dragging her off. He had just thought up a wondrous plan to solve whatever was wrong between Haruhi and Kyoya.

_Someone this gorgeous shouldn't be this brilliant_, he thought happily to himself.

Kyoya glared holes into the wall before him, his arms crossed and his laptop closed. Hunny, Mori, and Hikaru watched apprehensively as the usually workaholic man rocked back and forth in his chair in clear irritation. He hadn't spoken a word since entering the club room.

"What's up with Kyoya? He looks like he's been told someone started a massive bonfire with money," Hikaru whispered to the other two, out of ear shot of the person in question.

Hunny shrugged, looking a little frightened by the dangerous atmosphere that emitted from Kyoya. "I don't know, but have you seen Haruhi or Tamaki? Club is about to start."

Shaking his head, Hikaru frowned, "No clue either. Haruhi wasn't in class today, so I don't even know if she's in school today. Kaoru said he was gonna go look for them though, but he hasn't returned. To be honest, I think there's something going on. Milord called yesterday and mentioned something about Haruhi and Kyoya. Think that would have anything to do with their absence or Kyoya's sour mood?" He scratched his chin in thought, he had tried talking to Kaoru about this, but his brother refused to say anything more than it being Tamaki's "usual idiocy".

The senior almost choked the cake he was eating, quickly looking away from Hikaru who was lost in his own thoughts at the moment. Before the twin noticed, Mori stepped in. "Don't know, could be anything," He stated simply. It was more than enough of an answer for Hikaru.

Hunny shot a thankful look at Mori right as the club doors swung open, revealing a grinning Tamaki and a protesting Haruhi in tow. Kyoya turned towards the arrivals, but upon noticing who they were, abruptly opened his laptop and busied himself with angry typing. Ignoring the treatment he was getting from Kyoya, Tamaki shoved the two boxes he had into Haruhi's arms and ordered everyone except for Kyoya to get out of the room. The two seniors gave no objection to this, but Tamaki had to forcibly drag Hikaru out of Haruhi's presence.

With a final "adieu!" as he closed the doors behind him, Tamaki left Haruhi alone with Kyoya.

The whole room was silent without any customers or hosts, aside from the frantic tapping that Kyoya was making. Now more than anything, Haruhi wanted to kick the foolish lord's face in. After a few awkward moments of just standing there, Haruhi sighed. Best get this over with so she could get home.

"Milord, what are you doing?" Hikaru exclaimed, almost to the point of shouting. He had his arms crossed and was glaring fiercely at the blond. The four of them were right outside the club room.

Tamaki hushed him, a finger to his lips as he fished a glass from his pockets. "Quiet, Hikaru or else you're going to give it all away. I'm going to attempt to imitate a commoner. Go get your own cup!" He pushed Hikaru away when he tried to grab the glass from him.

The twin crossed his arms, "What the hell are you doing anyways? You're not seriously going to try eavesdropping on their conversation with a cup are you?"

Shushing him again, Tamaki placed the glass against the door, "It's been proven! Look, I can hear them! Here, another cup, but you gotta be silent for once," Tamaki warned, handing him another glass from his pockets.

"Do you always carry these things around with you?" Hikaru asked, placing the glass next to Tamaki's and gesturing for Hunny and Mori to listen in as well. His only answer from Tamaki was another shush.

The fool! He didn't tell her which one had the heart's tie and which one had the purple one, Haruhi realized as she walked up to Kyoya. However there was no time to open them and check.

"Here," She said bluntly, "A thank you gift for dinner," She placed one of the boxes at random onto the desk in front of him.

Kyoya peeked over his laptop, an eyebrow raised, "Did you buy that with Tamaki?" He sounded calm enough.

Hesitantly, Haruhi nodded, "Yes, but-"

"Just leave it there then." He coldly interjected, not even bothering to look at her anymore. Just as she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, he hadn't had a pleasant night either. All he could see was _him_ and her together.

Haruhi seemed like she was about to say more, protest in some manner at being dismissed so, but quickly changed her mind and decided that then would be a good idea to walk away.

As she made her way to the door, she could hear the sounds of the ripping of paper as Kyoya viciously opened his gift like it were a certain blond king. Then what followed was silence that troubled Haruhi, her hand just over the door handle. She chanced a look over her shoulder, wondering why all noise seemed to stop. Had he liked it that much? Her heart fluttered lightly at the thought...

...But what was in his hands was not the purple silk tie embellished with a dark rose, but rather a bright tie with white and pink hearts. Inner Haruhi screamed at the sight.

"Wrong one!" She cried out instead, rushing back towards the frozen Kyoya. She snatched the offending article from his grasp and slammed down the second box in her hand. "_This_ is your gift. The heart's one is mine," Her face was bright red with embarrassment. What must have been going through his mind at the sight of the darned thing! She kept her eyes to the ground, not wanting to see Kyoya's expression for fear of it being one of anger.

It was quite a shock to Haruhi when suddenly Kyoya burst out laughing. "_Yours_? There is obviously something I don't know about you, Haruhi. I never took you a fan for...Ah, this kind of apparel," He chuckled, his demeanor light from laughing. When was the last time he laughed like this?

Amazingly, Haruhi's face grew even hotter. She cried, "It wasn't my fault, I swear! It was the plainest one in that stupid shop..." She clasped her hands together at her waist, uncharacteristically timid for once.

Kyoya wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. "If you didn't like the shop, why did you go in there in the first place? By the sounds of it, it must have been your equivalent to a living hell," He asked, calming down somewhat.

"Because that _idiot_ dragged me in there..." Haruhi mumbled. Kyoya froze.

In a strangely calm voice, Kyoya asked, "So why did you follow him?" The atmosphere turned heavy as the conversation took a turn for the worse.

Haruhi paused for a moment, oblivious to the sudden change in mood. Why _did_ she follow Tamaki? She could have just walked away if he annoyed her that much. "He may be an idiot, but I don't mind it that much," She said finally, her mouth shooting off before her mind could catch up, but when it did, it all finally made sense. She really didn't mind him that much.

Kyoya, however, did not share her relief of understanding. "Is that so, Haruhi? So you rather spend the day with him even though you were looking for a gift for me?" He raised his voice almost to the point of yelling.

"Hey! I only happened to meet Tamaki there! He was being a friend and helping me out. I'm sorry for not being able to return any favors with expensive gifts!" Haruhi shouted back, hands clenched into fists. Her nerves were already on edge, she did _not_ need this.

Kyoya nearly toppled over his chair by jumping to his feet. "That's not the point! This has nothing to do with the ties!" He snapped, then catching himself, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Sighing, he continued in a much softer tone, "It's that you were with _him_ the whole day that upsets me."

There was no stopping her now, though, Haruhi already snapped, "_What?_ What's wrong with me hanging out with Tamaki? We're friends! Why should you be bothered by who I hang out with anyways?"

"Dammit Haruhi! Can't you see? I..." He hesitated, which Haruhi took an advantage of,

"You what? Think just because you took me to dinner that you own me now?" Her comment stung, more so then she would ever imagine. Not that she cared at the moment.

Unusually caught off guard, Kyoya felt his own face grow red, but from either anger at the accusation or from the embarrassment of what he had almost slipped he knew not. "N-no...! I just...I just think one would have the decency not to run off with another guy right after having been treated by another! Do you take enjoyment by leading on others?" He snapped, regaining his lost footing.

Haruhi's mouth dropped open, completely aghast, "You thought _I_ was leading _you_ on? Coming from you, that's hypocritical, don't you think? Saturday was nothing to you, even if it could had been something extraordinary for me! After all, I'm just another "friend" of yours. I'm just common dirt compared to Kameko." Her eyes narrowed accusingly at Kyoya, once again finding herself yearning for the power of laser beams.

It was like one step forward and two steps backwards! He should have guessed Haruhi was going to bring up Kameko one point another. A topic he wouldn't want to openly discuss with anyone, especially Haruhi. "That wasn't...You don't understand...!" Kyoya once again stumbled for words.

"Hmm? What don't I understand Kyoya? Please, enlighten me!" Haruhi had her hands on the table, nails gripping into the fine wood.

For a moment, Kyoya looked as if he was about to spill it all...

"What are you guys doing outside? Where are all the customers?" Kaoru asked, a little short of breath from having ran all the way there from the library.

In sync, Tamaki and Hikaru jumped away from the door in horror.

"We were, uh..." "There's nothing..." The two of them sputtered nervously.

Hunny, fortunately spoke up for them, "We sent the customers away today...Kyoya and Haruhi are inside..." He said in a soft voice, hugging his bunny tightly.

"What?" He yelled, wide eyed, "Haruhi hasn't gotten any sleep at all! She must be chewing the poor guy out! Come on, we have to stop them before it gets out of hand!" He started for the door, despite the protests of the other host members.

"No, wait Kaoru, that might not be..."

"I don't think we can stop..."

"They're already...!"

But it was too late, Kaoru had already swung both doors open, Tamaki and Hikaru who were leaning against them fell inside the room in a heap.

"You know what? Don't. Don't say anything. There's no need. I simply don't care anymore! It doesn't matter! The tie makes us even now and that's all I wanted to do. Good bye!" Haruhi sounded half-hysterical at this point. She gave Kyoya a half-wave before making a run for the door, jumping over the bodies of Tamaki and Hikaru. Just as she passed, Kaoru thought he noticed her eyes welling up. He tried calling out to her, but she just stormed past. He dashed out after her, Hikaru soon following him as well.

Kyoya on the other hand, seemed to be in a daze, dumbly staring at the spot Haruhi had previously occupied in front of him. Tamaki pushed himself off the floor and made his way to his friend, hesitantly at first. He had heard everything, of course.

But that wasn't going to stop him from comforting his friend, who right now seemed in desperate need of it. "I think now would be the right situation for me to take you drinking and tell you to forget about the girl," Tamaki said, referring to commoner ways.

Kyoya half-heartedly scoffed, "That would mean I would have to expose my heart and soul to you as well, and believe me when I say that would be the last thing I'd do." He ran a hand wearily through his hair. Now more than anything, he just looked simply tired and defeated.

"You don't really need to. I think all you have to do is _drink_..." Tamaki tried to explain, but was quickly interrupted.

"No! Don't you get it Tamaki?" Kyoya said, slamming his fist into the table, "I'm your rival! You're competition! I do not need your pity!" And with that he picked up his laptop and left without a look back.

Dumbfounded and a little hurt, Tamaki could only stand there. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on. Competition? Rival? For what? All he knew was that Kyoya got really angry that he spent Sunday with Haruhi. Was Kyoya mad that Haruhi spent more time with daddy than with him? Some parents do tend to fight over their kids affections, especially when their daughter is so adorable! But envious or not of father, he did not want Kyoya mad at him or Haruhi...

Suddenly, he pounded his fist into his palm. Spinning around, he addressed the remaining hosts behind him, "Hunny, Mori, I have an idea!" He exclaimed, another brilliant plan already forming in his head as he gestured for the two to come closer so he could share it.

For what seemed to be his fault in damaging a beautiful mother-daughter relationship, he was sure to be the one to fix it!

* Referring to the end of Volume 9, when Hunny is recapping the Host Club's current relationship with Haruhi. You can safely assume this takes place sometime afterward.

** Reiko as in Reiko Kanazuki from the Black Magic Club! She's introduced at the beginning of Volume 10

A/N: ;A; Whhyyy did this take so long? I'm sorry for the lateness, but all the reviews really did cheer me onto finishing this chapter!

Ah, but now I must share some rather bad new (or good, depending)! The next chapter will be the last and final chapter, which would shortly be followed up by a epilogue of sorts.


	7. Chapter 7 Epilogue

No, she was not going to cry about this. Absolutely not. Angrily she rubbed at her eyes, slowing her pace to a halt. She just simply _was not_.

"A-are you okay? Well I-I mean you don't look okay but still, I-" The breathless voice of Hikaru went unheard as he hesitantly approached her. Not daring to touch her, yet still wanting to.

Her hands were clenched into fists. _It doesn't matter._ Haruhi closed her eyes, not responding. _I don't care_.

Kaoru joined them then, having been left behind when Hikaru outran him. "Haruhi," He said calmly. Haruhi made no move as to if she was listening, but Kaoru continued anyways, "I want to know what's happening. What's going on between you and Kyoya?" Hikaru looked up at Kaoru in shock, disbelieving his brother's apathy.

Haruhi cringed for an instant, but slowly unclenched her fists and visibly forced herself to relax. "Nothing, there's nothing going on between us," She answered, her words surprisingly firm. She sounded almost casual, "What makes you think that there is?"

"Because-"

"-Of course there isn't. All we did was have dinner together. It meant nothing, really. We're just friends,"

"W-wait, you what-"

"-Besides, it's not like I could compare to _the_ Kameko. I'm sure she would have given him something worthwhile for his troubles besides that stupid tie I got him as thanks,"

"Haruhi, look, you're not-" "Kameko? You mean-"

"Oh I'm fine, you guys. I'm just a little tired. There's not need to joke that there's something big going on. Quite troublesome if you ask me. Not to mention highly implausible. Well, I think I should be getting home now before I miss the train. Bye Hikaru, Kaoru. See you guys tomorrow." Haruhi concluded in a short breath, making sure not to give either of them room to protest. By then she sounded half-normal, almost like the whole thing in the clubroom was nothing.

Hikaru made to pursue her when she abruptly dashed down the hall, but was stopped short by his brother's hand on his shoulder. "Kaoru! Why are you stopping me? Don't you care?"

Sighing and shaking his head, Kaoru grabbed hold of his collar, forcibly dragging his brother back the way they came. "Yes, I do," He replied hotly, his expression unusually serious, "But right now it's best if we let her be. If we bother her she's just going to brush us off again. Besides, there's something I need to discuss with milord and you need to hear me out as well."

With that, the two made their way back to the clubroom, Hikaru only reluctantly giving in because of his brother's scary expression. There, they were greeted by an excited Tamaki, "Hikaru, Kaoru! Glad you finally decided to join us! How's my precious daughter? Is she okay...? No, wait, tell me later. Right now I have something to share with you concerning our two quarreling members!"

"As do I, Tamaki," Kaoru replied before listening to what the foolish king had to tell him.

_Damn it all_! Kyoya growled, kicking the leg of his desk. He was now at home, in the privacy of his own bedroom where he could fume all he liked.

It was unbelievable how everything went from bad to worse. First he finds her in the company of Tamaki, then gets discovered himself, in a rather intimate confrontation with Kameko he could not, nor would, explain to Haruhi. And then today they go off at each other, just making the whole situation worse. What's next? They start at each other's throats?

Kyoya fell into his chair, sighing. No, no, he would never raise his hand against Haruhi. But, still...! He kicked the desk again for good measure. This whole situation was completely aggravating and to just make matters even more worse, for the first time in quite a while, maybe even in his whole life, Kyoya did not have a back-up plan.

What was he to do? He had even snapped at Tamaki, who might have been at least somewhat helpful in a situation like th-Wait, no! What was he thinking? Kyoya Ootori would not stoop so low as to ask help from a rival! His competition! That was hardly the trait of an Ootori.

Then the phone rang, the sudden noise almost throwing Kyoya off the chair. As he recollected himself, the ringing stopped and a servant shortly appeared with a phone in hand. "Master Kyoya, a Miss Hayata wishes to speak with you, she says it's important," The servant explained, offering the phone politely to Kyoya, who once again sighed. It would probably do him no good to ignore her call, even though he would love nothing better than to chuck it out the window.

Reluctantly, he accepted the phone and waved off the servant before bringing it to his ear. "What do you want, Kameko?" He said icily, hoping it would intimidate Kameko out of talking to him. When there was no answer, he hesitated. That really shouldn't have worked. "Hello?" He tried again in a softer tone, but still, all he received in return was more silence. Kyoya was about to simply hang up when finally, he heard a response,

"I'm leaving for America."

Kyoya leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. Out of all the things he imagined her saying, that was the last thing on his mind. "Is that so?" Was all he could say.

There was a pause, then a soft laugh. It almost sounded self-loathing. "Why did I know you were going to say something like that?" On the other end, he heard her take a breathe, "Yes, I'm leaving for America. I don't think I'll ever return to Japan."

"Too many Asians for your liking?" He couldn't help but tease her again, recalling a few times she complained about it when they were dating.

When she replied, he could just tell she was biting back a smile. "Oh yes, much too many. There's only one I don't mind though," She retorted, using the same lines they used to exchange. "It's sad though, that he now prefers another." Well, that part was new.

Kyoya clenched his teeth together, refraining from lashing out at her. He rested his forehead in one hand, he did not want to replay the scene they made yesterday. "Kameko..." He said instead, hoping to put enough warning into it.

She was probably frowning, shaking her head. "I know Kyoya, and I'm sorry. I truly am. I didn't, okay maybe a little, did I want to meddle between you and her. You should at least know that I still...Well...Never mind, I just want you to know that yes, I am jealous, but you won't ever see me again. I just don't want to leave like this, leaving with you angry at me."

His hand dropped and he only stared dumbly ahead. Kameko was really a nice person deep down somewhere, not all of her was an act. It was one of the qualities that Kyoya had liked about her, which is why he could open up a little to her. But now...Well he would have to admit he would miss her (at least somewhat), but she would never live up to how much he, dare he think it, liked Haruhi.

"How long does your father expect you to stay in the States?" Kyoya asked instead, immediately taking on a lighter tone. It was not an outright acceptance, but at least he was talking to her civilly.

Kameko laughed again, this time it was not as melancholy. She knew him enough to understand."I don't know, honestly. A year, two at most. Then he said I'll be returning to Europe, learning the business trade he said, maybe even heading back to the states eventually. My brother was officially bed ridden this week."

Growing quiet, he expressed his condolences, but Kameko only chided him, "Oh there's no need to be like that, it doesn't suit you. We all knew that the illness was going to get worse anyways, it would be too taxing if he had to worry about the family business as well. Ah, I must be on my way. Got to pack, you know, my plane leaves tomorrow. And Kyoya,"

"Yes, Kameko?"

A pause. "Tell the girl I'm sorry. You better have a good life, Kyoya, I don't expect anything less from you," and then the line went dead.

Kyoya placed the receiver on the desk and held his face in his hands, chuckling humorlessly, "I'm so glad you have such high standards for me, but some things are easier said than done." One problem had been solved, but there was still one more he didn't seem to have a solution to.

He was already dreading the next day.

Classes went by like a blur for Kaoru. Haruhi appeared to be fine when he addressed her that morning. She talked, laughed, looked utterly unimpressed when he started flirting with Hikaru, and even let them have some of her rice cake when lunch swung around. To anyone, it seemed like yesterday never happened. Even Hikaru dismissed the whole situation by the time classes were over.

However, Kaoru knew better of course. Haruhi always had a knack of hiding what she was really thinking and she was not the type of person to allow personal relationships mess with her school work. Hiding in the library was the exception, though, but he just assumed she didn't have adequate time to calm herself.

Oh boy, did he sure hope the plan would work.

"Hey Haruhi, Hikaru and I need your help with the cosplay for next week. We're designing the costumes ourselves for once, we thought it would be useful for, you know, the future." Kaoru said, leaning over her desk as she packed up for the day. He was referring to their family's business.

Hikaru nodded in agreement with his brother, "We need to take your measurements and make adjustments if necessary. There's no club today, but we left the designs and stuff in the music room to work on it today. So what do you say?"

Haruhi placed the last folder into her bag. "We don't have club today and Tamaki's not complaining? That's strange. Uh, sure, why not," She slung it over her shoulders and gestured for them to lead.

As the three of them walked down the hall, Hikaru was the one to offer the explanation, "Tamaki had to attend to some business at the last minute. He really couldn't avoid it, you should have seen him! He was tearing up like a baby as he was dragged away into his limo!" He started to snicker, Kaoru joining him. Haruhi nodded, but gave no response.

Once they reached the third floor, they walked past the main room and headed for one of the side rooms. Already laid out on top of a couch was a long lacy dress, accompanied by doublets and stockings scattered from one chair to the next.

Looking none too happy, Haruhi gestured to the dress with one hand as she placed her bag on the floor, "I'm guessing that one is mine?" The twins nodded enthusiastically, only deepening the frown on her face, "The theme next week is medieval fashion? Didn't we already...?"

Kaoru cut her off, shaking his head, "Yes we did, but this time we're portraying a version of the children's fairytale, what was it called? Cinderella! That's it. Oh don't look so grumpy, Haruhi, we're going to give you a choice of either this," He picked up the dress, showing it's size and the little details trailing down from the neck line to the waist. Along the arm were cuts and slashes here and there, made to reveal the under dress and tied up with string. It looked rather fancy and shimmered a little in the light. Haruhi assumed this was Cinderella's ball gown. "We mixed up a little Renaissance fashion into it as well."

"Or you could wear this," Supplied Hikaru, producing another and less elegant dress which was a simple surcoat over what looked like a loose white under dress, "We raised the neckline (Medieval women liked to reveal...Well, pretty much everything) and you don't need a corset for this." As he added the last part, his face turned a little red.

It really wasn't a hard decision, in the matter of which dress Haruhi chose. Both Hikaru and Kaoru were a little disappointed that they weren't going to see Haruhi in such a beautiful dress they worked so hard in making, so they eventually forced her into dressing up for them. Not in front of them, of course.

Haruhi groaned, looking at herself in the mirror of the make-shift dressing room they left her in. She looked utterly ridiculous, if she thought so herself. Her hair was too short and she didn't have the boob size to even fill in the dress correctly. If anything, she looked like a guy in a dress...Oh how embarrassing. A single nasty thought crossed her mind, _Kameko would look nice in this_, but immediately she shoved the image into the back of her thoughts and stormed out of the curtains.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I put the darn thing on. The lace is rather itchy and I don't think I can fit in this nicely. Can I take it off now?" She said sulkily, pulling at the lace that lined the skirt.

"I do hope you don't mean right there," A voice answered, one that belonged to neither Hikaru nor Kaoru.

As soon as he was out of the little side room, Kaoru clapped his hands together in prayer, _please, _please_ let this work_. After a moment of willful thinking he rushed to catch up with his brother who was already searching for Hunny and Mori (They had cleared out the customers).

Haruhi looked up, her eyes wide in horror. "Kyoya," Her voice was all breath. The twins must have asked him to come try on his outfit too, since he was not in his usual school uniform, but already in a rather loose fitted tunic over trousers that must have been buried somewhere among the other clothes. (All she saw for guys were stockings, but somehow she could not really imagine the club members in..Well, tights).

Nonchalantly, Kyoya picked up the doublet that was slung over the couch to the side of him. "Good afternoon, Haruhi," He said coolly, attempting to pretend there was no awkwardness between them at that moment. He was also pretending he was not staring. Thank God, she was too befuddled by his presence to notice.

After a moment or two of silence and more staring, Haruhi shook her head and made to enter the curtained off dressing room again, playing along with their game of pretend. She didn't care. Nope, not at all. But then again, she just had to ask something. "Where are the twins?" Normal question, nothing out of the ordinary.

"They went out to borrow Mori's sewing kit, they had to fix something on my coat," Kyoya replied, slipping on the doublet and reaching for the nearby belt.

Haruhi nodded, making some noise of understanding,"Oh, I see. Well, I'm not going to wait for them. I'm just going to change then..."

"No, wait!" He suddenly exclaimed before he could stop himself, his hand out stretched in her direction. He didn't want to watch her walk away again. When she stopped and glanced over her shoulder, his arm lowered as he struggled to gain control of his mouth, "...I-I meant...We need to talk, Haruhi." The last words were firm and determined.

A mirthless laugh escaped Haruhi, despite the efforts she had made to keep herself composed, "Talk? What is left to be talked about, Kyoya?" She turned around, face contorted in suppressed emotion, "I think we have both said enough for each other's lifetimes."

Kyoya almost slapped a hand to his forehead. "Fine, not talk, but at least let me _explain_. There, is that more appropriate?" He snapped, immediately regretting it when she glared at him. At least she didn't make to turn around again.

"I..." He started, hoping to sort his thoughts into comprehensible sentences. There was too much he wanted to tell her, too much he didn't want to tell her, and too much he _should_ tell her. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Haruhi crossed her arms, head tilted to a side as she waited patiently enough for him.

_Kameko_. Tell her about Kameko first, he thought to himself. "Whatever you might think, Kameko is not my girlfriend. In actuality we are not in a relationship at all at this moment," He forced himself to say, using every ounce of public speaking skills he obtained over the years. However, it was one thing to address a crowd of people you do not know nor cared about, it was another to speak to, well, Haruhi.

Kyoya allowed himself a small breath, that was a good start. No, wait- but too late did he realize his mistake.

"'At this moment'? That would explain the intimacy between you two," Haruhi pointed out bluntly, frowning.

Anger surged through Kyoya and he had to ball up his hand into a fist to keep his rising temper in check. She was making this all the more frustrating. "No!" He hissed, taking a step forward, then he paused, shaking his head, "Well, yes. It is true that Kameko and I had been in a relationship together, but that is over. It has been for the past three months. What you saw Sunday was a show of her trying to convince me to take her back, however unlike her I am quite past that."

Haruhi bit down on the inside of her cheek. So that was it, huh? The two of them did date, but in the end it didn't work out. Somehow this new information gave her both a fluttering feeling and a sharp pain. When Kyoya was finally through with a girl, he just forgets about her...?

Still frowning, Haruhi shook her head, "Alright, so the two of you had a past. That would explain the whole 'old friends' thing between you guys and I will admit that I was bothered by the fact that you would take me to dinner, though it had seemed you were dating her," Kyoya looked like it was about to protest, but Haruhi made sure to cut him off sharply, "However! It does not explain what was wrong with me hanging out with Tamaki if you're free to hang out with your ex. Tamaki and I are just friends!"

Kyoya scoffed, "Friends? Do you think me blind? It's obvious..." Once his brain caught up with his mouth, he nearly chomped off his tongue. No, he was not going to point out the feelings she definitely had for Tamaki, that would count against him if the dense Haruhi suddenly figured it out. The thought fueled him with rage. How easily he could lose to such a fool! His presence is not even required for his victory. No, right now was his chance to gain the upper hand. _Dammit Kyoya, there's no backing down now! You're an Ootori for crying out loud!_

"Alright, fine" He said finally, breaking his own reverie, "You want to know the real reason, Haruhi? Why it gets me so upset to see you with Tamaki?"

"That's what I've been asking, hasn't it?" She shot back, not missing a beat.

He swallowed, both his pride and anxiety. He was going to do this.

"It's because I..."

Tamaki frowned into his hand, huffing a little as he stared out the window of the conference room. It was so completely unfair that his brilliance had to be locked up in such a dull meeting, but alas, there was no avoiding it. However, he found it quite difficult to concentrate on what the opposing party was saying. Something about new policies and setting up branches somewhere in America. Bah, he had already heard about this prior to the meeting via phone.

It was such a shame that his plan couldn't have been put to work. How lovely it would have been to see the look on Kyoya's and Haruhi's faces when they received a letter addressed by the other apologizing for all what they've done and that they should retain their happy mother-daughter relationship. Though, he had to give Kaoru some credit. His plan was rather advance for someone of his childish thinking. Not to mention, he gave Tamaki quite a bit to think about.

The other day, the older twin went on about something funny going on between Kyoya and Haruhi. Really! Such an absurd idea made Tamaki's heart pound a little harder than normal. Yet Kaoru had said it so seriously.

"The thing going on between Kyoya and Haruhi is simple, but they keep making it much more complicated then it is. Not to mention _someone_," At this Kaoru gave Tamaki a funny stare, "Keeps getting in the way."

Partially offended by the stare, Tamaki placed a hand to his chest and scoffed, "Me? Why, I have nothing to do with this!"

And much to Tamaki's disbelief, Kaoru covered his face as if were actually annoyed! The nerve! But what he said next had completely unsettled him, "Tamaki, do you like Haruhi? As in, you like-like her, that you would _date_ her."

The very thought...He would...Want to date his daughter...It disturbed him very much. Of course he answered he liked Haruhi, parental love only though. Tamaki made a mental nod of agreement. Yes, yes, Haruhi was his darling little daughter, why wouldn't he like her? But no good father wanted to date their daughter, as in creating _that_ kind of relationship with her. That's just incest and if Tamaki knew one thing, it was that he did not do incest. That was reserved solely for Kaoru and Hikaru.

He had firmly made the decision that he did not like Haruhi in that way and if Kyoya did, well, that's Kyoya and like a good friend, Tamaki must cheer his best friend on.

Though he thought it absolute, why did his heart beat erratically? Well...Nah, it must be nothing but his poor nerves worrying over whether Kaoru's plan worked or not to path the hole between Kyoya and Haruhi.

Tamaki was to never realize the feelings he had just disbanded, nor the potential that he had just crushed with that single resolution, but then again, it's hard to miss what never was. The next day he would only see Haruhi as a daughter, nothing more, nothing less.

The results of Kaoru's plan changed it not.

"It's because I like you!" Kyoya exclaimed, almost to the point of shouting. He soon realized that once he started, he couldn't stop himself, "And it bothers me to see you conversing with him when I wanted you to be with me!"

The abrupt confession threw Haruhi aback. Wait, what? All anger drained from her face, blush quickly replacing it. "B-but the dinner! W-wasn't that as friends...?" She stuttered out what she already knew to be a weak argument. It was just so hard to wrap her mind around the fact that the great Ootori...Oh, God, she didn't even dare to think it.

Suddenly uneasy, Kyoya retreated back to the side of the couch, running a hand through his hair as he smiled a small smile, "You and I both know you wouldn't have agreed if I said otherwise, even if you thought I was gay. Please believe me when I say that I had wished it differently." He cleared his throat, recollecting himself, "Yesterday you mentioned that Saturday meant nothing to me. That is not true, quite far from it actually."

Haruhi shook her head, her mind swarming with thoughts. Is that how he feels? Really? But...Just...It was quite different than what she had guessed before! However, by then she should have figured out that her guessing skills were lacking. First she thought he was gay, obviously false. Then she thought him taken, also proven false. Now...He's single and likes her? _What_. Why did this make her feel so...So oddly happy? This was not the first time someone's confessed to her so why did it affect her so? This was Kyoya for gosh sakes! A guy she thought cold and detached, not to mention cruel.

A small voice in the back of her head offered an explanation, _you like him too_. She wanted to do nothing more but push the little voice aside and brush this whole situation off as nonsense, yet, if what the voice proposed was true then everything made sense. It would explain the reason why Kameko had bothered her so, why Kyoya having a girlfriend in the first place caused her to lose sleep, why he caused her to get so emotional...

"I didn't expect you to return my feelings, but you could at least grace me with a response," Kyoya said as he watched Haruhi with ever growing discomfort. He wasn't sure how to judge her reaction just by the color of her cheeks. It was never good to assume things, not when he's gotten so far.

Haruhi, to his surprise, jumped a little at the sudden intrusion of her inner meltdown. She looked up at Kyoya as if seeing him for the first time. "I...You...You're straight then?" She blurted the first thing that came to mind.

The edges of Kyoya's lips twitched. Was that really her reply when he just bared his feelings to her? Jeez this- Oh to hell with prudence.

He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arm around her small waist. "Here, let me show you," He said, smiling as he pecked her lightly on the cheek.

As preoccupied as they were, neither Haruhi nor Kyoya noticed the door to the room opened just a crack, four pairs of eyes watching them silently. One in particular crying in the inside as his brother patted him on the back in sympathy.

Despite Hikaru's loss, Kaoru couldn't help but smile a little in the inside. Knowing Haruhi, a simple kiss was not going to put them into a relationship. It might take even longer for those two to officially get together, but at least they're talking to each other now.

_Oh don't worry Hikaru, I'm sure you'll find someone. In the meantime, I don't plan on going anywhere_, he thought to himself as he continued to wordlessly console his brother.

Hunny and Mori exchanged knowing glances to each other, Hunny grinning broadly. He just loved it when a plan worked.

–

Epilogue – Ten years later:

"Madam," Yuki gently shook the sleeping figure of her mistress, who had fallen asleep on her writing desk, "Madam, please wake up, it's almost evening."

Slowly, Haruhi came to, mumbling something or another as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Huh? Yuki? Hmm, I had the strangest dream..." She said drowsily. The maid only nodded in response, a hairbrush in hand.

"Was it like Wonderland*?" Yuki asked, already starting to fuss over Haruhi's long hair and frowning when Haruhi shook her head in response.

"No, it wasn't as crazy as that one, but it did involve the host club," She chuckled softly, memories of high school slowly coming to mind. "It resembled more of Medieval Europe, strangely reminding me of that cosplay Hikaru and Kaoru sewed themselves that one time. Tamaki, of course, was the king. Mori was a guard, I believe, to little Lord Hunny. Hikaru and Kaoru were the royal tailors. And..." Haruhi's voice trailed off and her cheeks reddened a bit.

Yuki couldn't see, but she could already guess by the silence that the next part was rather embarrassing to tell. It didn't stop the maid from inquiring further though, "And what about you and Kyoya?"

Haruhi cleared her throat, sitting up, "Well he was the loyal advisor to the king and I-" A knocking on the door of her room shortly cut her off.

"Are you awake, Haruhi?" The voice of Kyoya called out from the other side.

Getting to her feet, Haruhi went to open the door, Yuki though, beat her to it. "Master Kyoya, your wife is ready to attend dinner now." Behind her, Haruhi huffed, mumbling under her breath that she wasn't lazy enough to not even open a door. The maid, seeming like she hadn't heard only bowed and shortly left them alone.

At Haruhi's reaction, Kyoya couldn't help but smile as he kissed her on the forehead, "There's no need to bother yourself with such small things, my dear. You're an Ootori now."

Haruhi laughed, a little sarcastically, "And who knew I would end up as one?" The two started to walk down the hall towards the dining room.

"Well, it seems your father had some sort of idea of it. He had the gifts and cards all ready by the time I visited him," Kyoya replied in a mildly amused tone.

She rolled her eyes, "Why am I not surprised to hear this?"

"He _is_ your father, Haruhi. I believe you know him better than anyone." He pointed out, teasingly.

"Yes, yes, I know, but he somehow manages to surprise me now and then. Oh, speaking of fathers, how's Tamaki in the states? I hear the branches out there are doing rather good."

Nodding his head, Kyoya confirmed it, "His business is doing quite well when I spoke to him yesterday (that fool never fails to call every day). Apparently he has also formed a rather close relationship with the new owner of Hayata Hotels."

Haruhi's pace slowed to a halt. "Hayata?" She repeated, the name striking a chord.

Then she smiled and started to walk again, "So that's where she ended up at. Hmm, I'm sure that Tamaki will treat her like a princess."

Kyoya scoffed, as if offended by Haruhi's remark, "You don't think I had? By personal experience, I thought you would have assume differently."

Lightly, Haruhi punched Kyoya in the arm, "I never said you didn't, you jerk." As they made their way into the dining room, Haruhi turned to Kyoya again, "Hey, let's invite them over. It'd be nice to have a reunion, don't you think?"

"As long as you're fine with me talking to Kameko again," He replied.

"As long as _you're_ fine with me conversing with Tamaki," She shot back.

He sighed, "Alright, fine. Let's both agree to not get jealous. No misunderstandings whatsoever, are we clear?"

"I can't make any promises," She teased, grinning childishly, but added, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding, we're clear, Master Ootori" at the scary look that had crossed Kyoya's features.

Seems like some things never change.

*Referring to the episode 13 of the anime, where Ouran undergoes a Wonderland crossover in Haruhi's dream

A/N: And that's the end! Yaaaay~ Aren't you happy that you finally got through with that horrible business?

Would you believe this is the first time I ever wrote the ending to a story? Yeah, I'm pretty horrible at these finishing-what-I-started kind of things.

Well enough of me blabbing, who reads this anyhow, thank you for reading and all those wonderful reviews!


End file.
